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Get to know our insights experts

Meet some of our world-class experts who work with you to drive impactful change, offering valuable insights to support your understanding of social impact.

Portrait of Tom Hall

Tom Hall

Global Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy, UBS

With nearly 20 years’ experience working in impact and philanthropy, Tom leads the UBS Social​ Impact team of over 150 professionals across the globe to help clients and UBS employees to maximize​ their impact locally and globally. Tom has personally advised over 2,500 clients and their families during his time at UBS and is passionate about finding ways to catalyse scalable solutions to the pressing social and environmental problems the world is facing. A regular speaker at conferences​ globally, Tom believes that through partnerships we can build an Impact Economy that values people​ and planet in all investment decisions and builds a world that is profitable for all.

Prior to joining UBS in 2013, Tom spent his career in the non-profit sector. As Director of Philanthropy​ and Social Investment at the Disability Charity Scope, he pioneered the use of social investment structures,​ including the Scope Bond which was the first listed bond issued by an operational charity in the UK. Tom also worked with the cabinet office on the development of the new Social Investment Tax Relief.​ Earlier in his career, Tom was the first UK employee of the Microloan Foundation securing the investment for the charity to expand into sustainable microfinance, with over 50,000 customers in Malawi. Tom, is a father of four children, a keen runner and has a Politics degree from Exeter University as well as professional qualifications in marketing (CIM), fundraising management, financial planning and is a Green and Sustainable Finance professional. Tom is also proud to be #madebydyslexia and to be an advocate for personalized education to help every child achieve their full potential.​

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Portrait of Nalini Tarakeshwar​

Nalini Tarakeshwar​

Head of Programs and Impact Transparency, UBS Optimus Foundation

Nalini joined the UBS Optimus Foundation in January 2019 and is the Head of Programs and Impact Transparency, UBS Optimus Foundation. She primarily oversees the strategies, philanthropic grant making and impact measurement of the Foundation s programs in Child Protection, Climate and Environment, Education and Health. Nalini started her career as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University and has since gained almost 20 years of experience in international development. She briefly worked for the Global Health Institute at Duke University and for the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, where she established the Evidence, Measurement and Evaluation team. In addition, Nalini worked for Big Win Philanthropy, where she developed their strategy and established their programs team.

Portrait of Grégorie Muhr

Grégorie Muhr

Head of Collective Impact and Insights, UBS

Grégorie Muhr is the global leader of the UBS Collective Impact and Insights team. She advises wealthy families on how to find their purpose, engage in multigenerational legacy planning, and have more impact with their wealth. She boasts almost 20 years of experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors and has co-authored several publications, thought leadership pieces and curated numerous global client experiences and events. Since joining UBS in 2007, Grégorie has worked as a client advisor for UBS Wealth Management and at the UBS Optimus Foundation. She has also led various strategic and change management projects aimed at improving gender diversity in leadership. Prior to joining UBS, Grégorie worked for several large French companies in human resources roles.

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Portrait of Dhun Davar

Dhun Davar

Head of Social Finance, UBS Optimus Foundation, Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy, India & Middle East Africa, UBS AG

Dhun Davar joined UBS in 2017 as Program Director, Education and Early Childhood Development. Since 2020 she has led the Optimus Foundation’s work in social finance across the thematic areas of education, health, climate and environment and a range of innovative finance products and field-building initiatives. She also leads Social Impact and Philanthropy in the Middle East Africa and India for UBS. During her time at UBS, Dhun has made significant contributions in social finance, collective philanthropy, and growing the Optimus foundation network. She has spearheaded the world’s largest development impact bonds in education and health, led an investment pipeline for the first global blended finance fund for outcomes contracts, been instrumental in building the social investments portfolio and investment team at Optimus and UBS’s first philanthropic collectives.

She has also driven a first-of-its’ kind collaborative model at UBS bringing together strategic grant-making, client services and corporate philanthropy in India, a model that has been replicated globally across the firm. Prior to joining UBS, Dhun was CEO at Apnalaya, COO at Hand in Hand Switzerland and also worked for GuideStar India, Voluntary Services Overseas and GiveIndia on strategy & planning, program management and impact measurement.She has one son, loves nature, wildlife, camping, music and dance. Dhun believes that a life of purpose is the purpose of life and applies both head and heart to all that she does for people and planet.

Meet the UBS Global Visionaries

Our vision at UBS is to convene the global ecosystem for investing – where thought leadership is impactful, people and ideas are connected, and opportunities are brought to life.

Supporting great vision

We believe social entrepreneurs working to tackle the most pressing social and environmental issues have incredible potential to deliver change and create a better world. That's why we launched the UBS Global Visionaries program with two goals:

  • to create opportunities for clients to connect with leading social entrepreneurs; and
  • to help the best social entrepreneurs scale their solutions.​

The UBS Global Visionaries are chosen because their work illustrates the power of investing in the impact economy. We are particularly interested in changemakers with solutions to improve health, education, inequality and climate (SDGs 3, 4, 10 and 13).

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