Sir Sajid Javid to lead Exeter’s largest ever fundraising campaign

The University of Exeter is delighted to announce alumnus the Rt Hon Sir Sajid Javid as chair of its new fundraising campaign, which will launch in 2026.

Sir Sajid (Economics and Politics, 1991, Hon LLD 2025) will lead Exeter’s ambition to secure £150 million in philanthropic donations, and secure 150,000 volunteering hours by the end of the decade, in support of the University’s ‘2030 Strategy’ to create a Greener, Healthier and Fairer future. Full details of the campaign will be made public next year.

In a remarkable career spanning the public and private sectors, Sir Sajid has held some of the most senior roles in the UK government, including Chancellor of the Exchequer.

From 2010 to 2024, he served as the Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove and led six major departments, including the Treasury, the Home Office, and the Department of Health and Social Care. He is also a member of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council. Prior to his time in politics, he enjoyed a successful two-decade career in international investment banking.

He has also held several prestigious academic and advisory roles, including Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Visiting Fellow at Oxford University and Senior Advisor to JP Morgan. He is currently a Partner at Centricus Partners LLP, a global private equity and corporate finance advisory firm. Additionally, he was appointed Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust in July 2025.

Sir Sajid assumes the chairmanship from Gerry Brown (Economics and Economic History 1966; Hon LLD 2024), who has led the new campaign in its private phase, and who also headed the highly successful predecessor campaign which raised more than £71 million and over 100,000 volunteering hours.

Sir Sajid Javid said: “I am thrilled to accept this role.  Exeter has played a pivotal role in my life, and I am delighted to be able to give back to my University in this way.  I encourage fellow alumni and supporters to join us in this endeavour as we strengthen Exeter’s position as one of the world’s great universities.”

Professor Lisa Roberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Sir Sajid has agreed to support his alma mater in this way.  Our new campaign will be markedly more ambitious than those undertaken in the past and I wish to thank Gerry Brown for his efforts to lay such strong foundations. With Sajid’s leadership I am certain he will help us galvanise a wide array of supporters in the UK and internationally, so that donors view the University of Exeter as a natural partner to help them realise their philanthropic ambitions.”

Gerry Brown added: “It has been a tremendous honour to co-chair two of the University’s campaigns, with the late Steve Edge. Philanthropy is a vital activity within Higher Education, and increasingly so at Exeter. We can witness the positive impact of donor time and money in the success of our students and staff, and we see it physically in the buildings that house them across our campuses. Long may that continue. I wish Sir Sajid and the Exeter team every success for the future.”