UKRI Board member
Ruwan Weerasekera is a member of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Board.
Ruwan is the Chair of the UKRI Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. He is also a non-executive Director on the Board of the Financial Reporting Council and chairs their People Committee.
In August 2024, Ruwan was appointed as:
- NED to Blackrock Group Limited
- Director, Senior Manager under the Senior Manager Regime and Material Risk Taker on the FCA Register for BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, and BlackRock International Limited
Previously he was the former Senior Independent Director of ICBC Standard Bank PLC and a non-executive Director of London North West University Health Care Trust. Ruwan chaired the Board of SoftBank Investment Advisers.
Throughout his career Ruwan has held senior operating roles. Most recently as a Managing Partner and the Chief Operating Officer of SoftBank Investment Advisers and the Vision Fund, a significant strategic investor in artificial intelligence, technology, life sciences and energy.
Prior to that he was a Managing Director and the Chief Operating Officer for Securities of UBS Investment Bank. There he also managed strategic investments, led several significant investigations and also worked across the UBS group on culture change.
In his early career, Ruwan worked at Andersen Consulting across strategy, technology and operational consulting engagements with financial services clients. Later, he returned as a Partner and led a practice focused on strategy in the capital markets sector.
He studied Computing and Information Systems, receiving a BSc from The University of Manchester and has an MSc in Organisational Change from Ashridge Business School. Ruwan started his career in the Royal Air Force commissioned as a Pilot Officer and on a full cadetship.
Last updated: 26 September 2024