Gbolahan is a senior executive and experienced NED in the NfP sector. He leads teams and works with the world’s most innovative stakeholders across business, philanthropy and government to deploy millions of dollars, to deliver impactat scale.

He was most recently the Executive Director of Global Business Development at The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), responsible for the Institute and Mr Blair’s engagements with business, philanthropy and government agencies across ~50 markets. He is an expert in business development, global growth, scaling global partnerships and in developing and scaling impact products with global investors for social change. He specialises in relationship management helping not for profits achieve sustainability. He has led strategic change initiatives in executive and non-executive roles within organisations of public interest/sensitivity in Europe and globally.

Previously he has held positions across the private, public and third sectors on issues ranging from sales roles in telecoms, fundraising and marketing in education, heritage, and international development as well as policy in local and regional government. Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gbolahan helped stand up programmes to support African governments and multi-lateral agencies in their fight against the virus including the roll-out of vaccination programs. He has subsequently worked with partners to mobilise funds and scale solutions for various intractable challenges including the peace process in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, climate change and more. In 2022, he conceptualised and successfully embedded TBI’s global network convening platform, the Global Network for Change which brings together the biggest brands in business alongside government to deliver systems change. He has delivered public speaking engagements globally including at the Devex World Conference in D.C., TBI’s Africa Delivery Exchange (in partnership with AfDB), ADB Annual Meeting, AVPN Conference Hong Kong and on the Leading Voices podcast. He holds dual Nigerian and UK citizenship and is a Non-Exec Director including for Stonewall, the largest LGBT+ nonprofit in Europe, as well as here at the Carbon Trust.

“The choice is clear for governments, businesses and financial institutions to seize the opportunity to build prosperous, resilient economies for future generations through a just transition. 

“The Carbon Trust’s mission is crucial to that, especially in the need to balance growth with social and environmental impact. 

“I can’t wait to get started with the rest of the Carbon Trust board to enable this pioneering organisation to drive transformative climate action through inclusive, transparent, and effective decision making.