Richard Gomes

Chief Programme Officer at Shell Foundation

Speaker

As Chief Programme Officer, Richard is accountable for the effective deployment of Shell Foundation’s resources to achieve its10-year impact targets – via the creation and growth of inclusive business and financial solutions that improve income, health and education outcomes for people earning less than a living wage.

Richard leads SF’s programme team to build investment theses, originate innovative partnerships, build the capacity of portfolio partners, manage risk, and optimise performance; and is a permanent member of SF’s Approvals Committee.

Richard also serves as Chair of the Board for Value for Women, a specialist advisory firm that helps businesses and investors to advance gender inclusion.

Richard joined Shell Foundation in 2009 and has worked closely with its portfolio of pioneering businesses and financial vehicles across Africa and Asia to support technology innovation, build consumer demand, achieve viability, and raise investment.

Richard has held a range of Board roles for portfolio partners and was the Chair of SF’s Investment Committee for several years. He has authored several reports and articles exploring lessons learned from SF’s work, including ‘How climate investors can accelerate energy access in Africa’ (2021) Enterprise Solutions to 2030 (2015) and Accelerating Access to Energy (2014). Prior to SF, he worked for the Shell Group in financial and commercial roles in the UK, Europe, and Asia.

Richard holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Warwick and is an alumnus of the London School of Journalism. He is passionate about addressing inequality, the evolution of values-driven communities and empowering a new generation of social investment leaders