Rodney Schwartz, Founding Partner

Rod is the Founding Partner of Catalyst and a member of the Investment Committee. Rod founded Catalyst in 1997 to invest in European financial services but by 2003 Rod transformed Catalyst into a consultancy and advisory business as a pioneer in the emerging social business sector. In 2008, Catalyst spun out its research arm into a separate business (www.socialinvestments.com), a website which offers socially-minded investors information about social businesses in the UK and helps social businesses to succeed (renamed www.clearlyso.com in March 2009).

Having received his MBA from the University of Rochester, he joined PaineWebber, subsequently moving to Lehman as Head of Equities in Europe,Financial Institutions; and then Paribas as Global Head of Financial Institutions Investment Banking.

Rod is a non executive director of Ethical Property Company and AXA Investment Managers. He has been Chairman of Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, and Justgiving, the online charity fundraiser. He is also involved with a number of other businesses and organisations in the social sector as a non-executive director or advisor, including The Green Thing (as current Chair), HCT Group and the Ethical Superstore.