Wol Kolade CBE

Managing Partner

Livingbridge

London, UK

Wol Kolade’s Biography

Wol Kolade CBE is Managing Partner of Livingbridge, a mid-market private equity firm of over 80 people in the UK and Australia that helps businesses grow faster by investing and working with the client to come up with a market strategy that helps to focus on what matters.

Wol has a deep interest in healthcare and education and sits on the boards of a number of schools and universities. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Social Finance Board and in 2009 held the post of Chairman for Responsible Investment Advisory Board. In June 2019 Wol was appointed as a Trustee of Somerset House.

Wol is the Chairman of the Guy's and St Thomas’ Charity, a 500-year-old charitable foundation with total assets of £600 million.

Wol Kolade’s Newsfeed

10,000 Black Interns opens applications for 2022 internship programme

The scheme was set up by Jonathan Sorrell, Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, Michael Barrington-Hibbert and Wol Kolade, managing partner of Livingbridge.

Bad culture will destroy a business

“The culture of an organisation is the foundation stone,” Wol Kolade said. “No matter what the rules, regulations or guidelines, if a good, inclusive culture isn’t there, then nothing’s going to change.”

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Wol Kolade’s Background

Livingbridge

Managing Partner

1993 - Present

London, UK

A mid-market private equity firm of over 80 people in the UK and Australia. They have £1 billion ready to invest over the next 5 years and invest anywhere from £2 million to £70 million in fast-growing companies.

Barclays

MDP

1990 - 1992

Barclays PLC is a British multinational bank and financial services company.

Other Business Interests

Cumnor House Sussex

Chairman of Risk Committee

Haywards Heath, UK

Cumnor House Sussex is one of the country’s leading independent co-ed day and boarding schools for 2-13 year-old boys and girls situated in Mid-Sussex.

London School of Economics

Lay Governor, Member of the Court

London, UK

The LSE Court of Governors is a 100-member body of supporters and advisors to the School, who are elected on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee of the Court. The Committee has membership comprising student, lay and academic members.

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Current Board Positions

NHS Improvement

Board Member

Aug 2018 - Present

London, UK

NHS Improvement support foundation trusts and NHS trusts to give patients consistently safe, high quality, compassionate care within local health systems that are financially sustainable.

Philanthropy

Somerset House

Trustee

Jun 2019 - Present

London, UK

Somerset House is an arts centre in the heart of London, designed for today’s audiences and creatives. Offering a diverse and dynamic public programme of contemporary arts and culture, it is also a home to a large community of creative businesses, artists and makers, including Somerset House Studios.

Awards & Endorsements

The Private Equity Awards Hall of Fame

2021 Winner

Charitable Interests

Guys and St Thomas' Charity

Chair

London, UK

Through fundraising efforts, Guy's and St. Thomas' Charity contributed £16.7 million to over a hundred initiatives and worked with many in health and beyond to tackle some of the biggest health challenges in Lambeth and Southwark.

Wol Kolade’s Education

University of Exeter

MBA, Business

1989 - 1991

King's College London

B eng, Civil Engineering

1985 - 1988