The Nuffield Foundation has appointed Gavin Kelly as its next chief executive.

Kelly will join the grantmaker in January from his roles as executive chair of the charitable think tank the Resolution Foundation and chief executive of the grantmaker the Resolution Trust. 

He succeeds Tim Gardam, who will retire in September after eight years in the role. 

Before joining the Resolution charities, Kelly spent more than a decade in a variety of Whitehall roles, including deputy chief of staff at 10 Downing Street, a member of the Council of Economic Advisors at HM Treasury and deputy director of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit.

He is also chair of the Living Wage Commission, which sets the UK and London Real Living Wage rates, and a board member of the Orwell Foundation.

The Nuffield Foundation funds research that informs social policy, mainly in education, welfare and justice.

Kelly said: “I’ve long admired the role that the Nuffield Foundation plays in backing research and innovation that improves lives in so many different ways, so I’m greatly honoured to be appointed as chief executive. 

“Throughout my career – both in government and in the wider research and policy community – I’ve seen first-hand the power of evidence to transform policy and practice for the better.

“I’m excited about the role that the Nuffield Foundation can play in the years ahead supporting and pioneering work that will help the country address key social, economic and technological challenges.”