Damon Buffini
{{Short description|British businessman (born 1962)}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = Sir
| name = Damon Buffini
| image =
| birth_name = Damon Marcus Buffini
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1962|05}}{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324220328/https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/JoEQoCkDAKFmTav2rLJy8WKp5XI/appointments|archivedate=24 March 2016|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/JoEQoCkDAKFmTav2rLJy8WKp5XI/appointments|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|title=Damon Marcus BUFFINI|location=London}}
| birth_place = Leicester, England
| education = {{hlist|St John's College, Cambridge|Harvard Business School}}
| occupation = Businessman
| employer = {{hlist|BBC|Wellcome Trust|Permira|Schroder Ventures Europe|LEK Partnership}}
| spouse = Deborah Chao, Lady Buffini[https://www.ballet.org.uk/people/lady-debbie-buffini/ Profile: Lady Buffini], ballet.org.uk. Accessed 27 December 2022.
| children = 3
}}
Sir Damon Marcus Buffini (born May 1962) is a British businessman, deputy chair of the BBC Board and chair of the BBC Commercial Board.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/whoweare/damon-buffini/|title=Sir Damon Buffini - About the BBC|publisher=BBC|access-date=28 April 2023}} He was formerly head of the private equity company Permira{{cite web|title= Profile of Buffini at Permira|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709033543/http://www.permira.com/permira/en/peopledetail.jsp?id=2089|archivedate=9 July 2007|url=http://www.permira.com/permira/en/peopledetail.jsp?id=2089|publisher=permira.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/|title=The Times & The Sunday Times|website=The Times|access-date=21 February 2019}} and governor of the Wellcome Trust.
Education and early life
Career
Buffini worked for L.E.K. Consulting, and under the firm's scholarship scheme undertook an MBA from Harvard Business School. On return to the UK he joined Imperial Group working as a management consultant, before being recruited by Jon Moulton (now{{when|date=June 2016}} head of rival firm Better Capital), in 1988 to join Schroders leveraged buyout team, known then as Schroder Ventures Europe.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2004/nov/06/executivesalaries.privateequity|title=Permira boss takes home £3.2m - and no surprise as spotlight falls on Buffini|first=Ian|last=Griffiths|newspaper=The Guardian |date=6 November 2004|publisher=|accessdate=21 February 2019|via=www.theguardian.com}}
Buffini became a partner in 1992, and was promoted to managing partner of the UK business in 1999, and managing partner in 2000, just before he led a management buyout group and renamed the firm Permira. Buffini took home £3.2 million plus bonuses in 2004.
In November 2021 he was appointed as a non-executive director of the BBC Board, effective from 1 January 2022, and subsequently also as chair of the BBC's commercial board. In December 2022 the BBC Board created the honorary title of deputy chair to be held ex-officio by the chair of the BBC commercial board,{{cite web|url=https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/whoweare/bbcboard/board-minutes-8-december-2022.pdf|page=6|title=Meeting of the BBC Board - Minutes - 8 December 2022|publisher=BBC|access-date=28 April 2023}} with Buffini assuming the title on 9 December 2022.{{cite press release|url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2022/sir-damon-buffini-deputy-chair-bbc-board-appointments-bbc-commercial-board|title=Sir Damon Buffini named Deputy Chair of BBC Board, Gary Newman, Ian Griffiths, Claire Hungate to join BBC Commercial Board|date=9 December 2022|access-date=28 April 2023|publisher=BBC}}
Other
Buffini was also a non-executive board member of SVG Capital plc and chairman and co-founder of the Social Business Trust.
Buffini established The Buffini Chao Foundation with his wife, Lady Deborah Buffini, in 2005.{{Cite web |title=Supporting the future |url=https://www.buffinichao.com/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Buffini Chao Foundation |language=en-GB}}
He is a main board member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a trustee of the Royal Anniversary Trust, which administers The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education.{{when|date=June 2016}}
In September 2012 Buffini was appointed to the board of governors at The Wellcome Trust.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622102531/https://wellcome.ac.uk/about-us/governance/board-governors|archivedate=22 June 2016|url=https://wellcome.ac.uk/about-us/governance/board-governors|website=wellcome.ac.uk|publisher=Wellcome Trust|location=London|title=Board of Governors|year=2016}}
In July 2020, the UK Government announced Buffini as chair of the Culture Recovery Board, an administrative body tasked with managing the £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund intended to protect UK arts and heritage assets during the COVID-19 crisis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dowden-jump-start-for-uks-leading-creative-industries|title=Dowden: 'Jump-start' for UK's leading creative industries|website=GOV.UK|accessdate=27 December 2022}}
Buffini was appointed Chair of the Royal National Theatre in 2016.
Recognition
Buffini was ranked first in the men's Top 10 of the 2007 Powerlist, a publication ranking the most influential Black Britons.{{cite web |title=The real black power list of 100 leading role models |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/aug/26/pressandpublishing.raceintheuk |website=The Guardian |accessdate=22 April 2020 |language=en |date=26 August 2007}} Buffini's influence has also been recognised in Business, having ranked number three by the Times Power 100 for people who hold sway over British Business.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080705143609/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/movers_and_shakers/article3142396.ece Inventive and dynamic risk-takers who changed the face of Britain – Times Online] {{subscription required}} Boasting power and influence, together with a personal fortune of between £100m and £200m. Buffini was appointed to then Prime Minister Gordon Brown's business advisory panel.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/aug/26/pressandpublishing.raceintheuk|title=The real black power list of 100 leading role models|first=Michael|last=Eboda|date=26 August 2007|accessdate=21 February 2019|website=theguardian.com}}
Buffini was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for voluntary and charitable services.{{London Gazette|issue=61608|supp=y|page=B2|date=11 June 2016}}
Personal life
Married to a solicitor, Deborah ({{nee}} Chao), the couple have three children and a family home in Weybridge[https://web.archive.org/web/20070227130715/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article1434499.ece Invisible man forced into view by his golden touch] Times Online {{subscription required}} and a city flat in Wandsworth.
Buffini plays tennis and golf, football for a local amateur side, and supports Arsenal.{{cite web|title=Profile: Damon Buffini, The football fan who calls the shots|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318050335/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/feb/20/politics.tradeunions1|archivedate=18 March 2016|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/feb/20/politics.tradeunions1|website=The Guardian|location=London|author=Jill Treanor|year=2007}}
References
{{reflist|35em}}
{{Wellcome Trust}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buffini, Damon Marcus}}
Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Category:British businesspeople
Category:English people of African-American descent
Category:English people of American descent
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:Businesspeople from Leicester
Category:Private equity and venture capital investors