David Pitt-Watson

David Pitt-Watson is an Executive Fellow at London Business School, combining academic insights with extensive industry experience. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Oxford University. His career spans consulting (co-founding Braxton Associates, later Deloitte Consulting), shareholder activism (leading Hermes Focus Funds), and policy advising (advising UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown). He authored The Hermes Responsible Ownership Principles and co-authored The New Capitalists, exploring financial system reforms and pension efficiency.

• Education:
• Stanford University (MBA, 1980)
• Queen’s College, Oxford (Politics, Philosophy & Economics)
• Key Roles: Head of Hermes Equity Ownership Service (£80B assets), Co-founder Braxton Associates, Assistant General Secretary of Labour Party

His research focuses on bridging investor and corporate governance gaps, advocating for long-term sustainable value creation. He critiques systemic inefficiencies in UK pensions, comparing them unfavorably to Dutch systems, and promotes structural reforms for financial systems.