Gavin Lewis is Managing Director at BlackRock. He is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the UK Local Government Pension Scheme segment. Previous to this Gavin held several leadership roles at Vanguard Asset Management including Head of UK Institutional and Wholesale Distribution, Head of UK Retirement and Head of European Consultant Relations. Gavin has also held positions UBS Asset Management and Russell Investments. Gavin sits on the UK Institutional Executive Committee, is Co-Chair of the Global BlackRock Black Professionals Network and Sponsor of the EMEA Black Professionals Network.
Gavin holds a BA in History and Politics and from the University of London.
Gavin has also been active in highlighting the challenges to increasing ethnic minority representation in the asset management industry and has attempted to find solutions. Gavin is a member of the asset management industry's Diversity Project and one of his key initiatives is co-creating the #Talkaboutblack a movement, dedicated to increasing the representation of Black Professionals in the asset management industry. He has worked with asset management firms to create mentoring circles for junior, mid and senior Black professionals, student skills workshops and a program designed to equip students from less privileged backgrounds with the tools and aspirations to enter the corporate world.
Gavin is a trustee board member of the Old Vic Theatre Trust, the NFL UK Foundation and the Pensions Policy Institute. He received the Freedom of the City of London in 2022 for services to diversity, has been recognised by Black British Business Awards as the Senior Financial Services Professional of the year and awarded the Heart of BlackRock for driving a culture of empathy, trust and respect in 2020, and is listed as one of the top 30 Black Professionals by the Powerlist’s, Power in the City bi-annual ranking in 2018 and 2020.