Ric Lewis is a British businessman.[1] He is a founding partner of Tristan Capital Partners, a British property investment firm, and its predecessor, Curzon Global Partners (1998–2008).[2][3] He is also the founder and chairman of a registered charity, The Black Heart Foundation.[4] He ranked first in the Powerlist 2019, an annual list of the UK's most influential people with African or Afro-Caribbean heritage.[5][6][7]

Ric Lewis
BornDecember 1962
Salem, Massachusetts, United States
CitizenshipDual British & American
EducationDartmouth College BA, Harvard University PMD
Occupation(s)Businessman and Philanthropist

Early life and career

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Ric Lewis (born December 1962) was born in Salem, Massachusetts to African American parents. His father was chief of the local fire department and his mother worked for a local telecommunications company. Lewis attended public high school, was class president and at 6'10" also played on the basketball team. After high school, he attended Dartmouth College to study Spanish and Economics and later Harvard Business School.[8][9]

Lewis was a partner and senior managing director of AEW Capital Management, a Boston investment management business,[10] where he led the company’s expansion into Europe and moved to London in 1998.[9]

After emigrating to the United Kingdom to found Curzon Global Partners, a property investment company that was a part of AEW [11] he left AEW to become a founding partner of another London property investment company, Tristan Capital Partners, in 2009.[12][13][14][15] By 2019 Tristan Capital Partners was the largest black-owned business in the UK, with over £14billion under management in the investment firm.[16]

Lewis is involved in a number of advocacy and charitable projects. He is the Chairman of UK/US registered charity the Black Heart Foundation, which he founded in 2009. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting initiatives that improve educational benefits for under-resourced young people and providing opportunity to those who are otherwise denied it. Each year, it provides several educational scholarships to young people in need in the UK and abroad. At present, the Foundation has awarded over 550 Black Heart Scholarships at over 130 different, universities, schools, alternative academic institutions and training programmes throughout the UK and US.[17][18][8][9] In addition, he is chairman of the Institute of Imagination (London Children's Museum),[19] and a trustee of the Royal National Children's Foundation.[20] He is governor of Ark King Solomon Academy,[21] and a patron of Eastside Young Leaders Academy.[22] He was a trustee of Teach First and of International Inspiration, and a director of London First and the London Regional Council of The Prince’s Trust.[23]

In the United States he is a trustee of Dartmouth College[24] and is on the board of visitors for the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University.[25] He served as Board of Visitors, Rockefeller Center for International and Public Policy, Dartmouth College; Board Director, Boys & Girls Club of Boston; Board Director, I Have a Dream, Boston; Board Director, International House of Blues Foundation; Trustee, Hyams Foundation Inc.; Overseer, The Judge Baker Children’s Center, Boston and Non-Executive Director, Innovision LLC

He was a director of Grassroot Soccer in South Africa,[26] and of the Smurfit School of Business of University College Dublin.[1][27]

In June 2020, the Board of Legal & General Group announced Lewis’ appointment as an independent non-executive director.[28][29]

As of October, 2020, Lewis was taking part in a 12-week financial podcast, 'The Mentor', where he had teamed up with David Whitely to mentor three young people. Each of the young people gets £5000 and an hour per week with Lewis. The Mentor is a non-profit podcast and all funds raised go to the Black Heart Foundation.[30]

In February 2021, Lewis was awarded the Urban Land Institute (ULI) European Leader Award for his contribution to urban development and real estate, along with his civic and social endeavours as part of the Black Heart Foundation.[31]

Recognition

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  • Powerlist 2019 - First Place, in addition, Lewis was ranked second in the Powerlist 2018 and 2017.[32][6]
  • 10th PERE Global Awards, Industry Figure of the Year: Europe.[33]
  • Boston Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award (1998).[34]
  • 2021 Urban Land Institute (ULI) European Leader Award.[35]

References

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  1. ^ a b Boston, William (4 February 2009). "Keeping Safe Hand at Wheel". The Wall Street Journal.
  2. ^ Olson, Parmy (8 April 2015). "Meet The LinkedIn For The World's Most Successful People". Forbes.
  3. ^ Rigby, Jennifer (2 June 2009). "AEW's Ric Lewis goes it alone". Property Week.
  4. ^ "List of 100 most influential black people includes Meghan Markle for first time". Daily Mirror. 23 October 2018.
  5. ^ Eboda, Michael (22 October 2016). "How has black people's representation changed in the last 10 years?". The Observer.
  6. ^ a b "Ric Lewis Founder, Chair, Chief Executive Tristan Capital Partners". Powerlist.
  7. ^ Hicks, Amber (23 October 2018). "List of 100 most influential black people includes Meghan Markle for first time". mirror. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  8. ^ a b Pears, Elizabeth. "Meet The Black Millionaire Who Has Quietly Been Giving Out Scholarships To British Students". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Bourke, Joanna (20 March 2020). "Meet Ric Lewis: The fun-loving property tycoon". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  10. ^ Phillips, Mike (5 June 2019). "The Most Influential Black Briton Is A Real Estate Boss, But He's Lonely At The Top". Bisnow Media.
  11. ^ "Forbes Africa's My Worst Day with Peace Hyde launches the global powerhouse edition on CNBC Africa". CNBC Africa. 31 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Hendrerit Premo Quae Valde".
  13. ^ Rawlinson, Kevin (23 October 2018). "Duchess of Sussex in Powerlist of top 100 black people in Britain". The Guardian.
  14. ^ "The Financial Services Register". Financial Conduct Authority.
  15. ^ Pears, Elizabeth (24 October 2018). "Meet The Black Millionaire Who Has Quietly Been Giving Out Scholarships To British Students". BuzzFeed.
  16. ^ Capital Partners, Tristan (30 December 2019). "Tristan Corporate Overview" (PDF). Tristan Capital Partners. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Series 2, Episode 15: Ric Lewis". Channel 4 News. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  18. ^ Hurst, Greg. "City boardrooms snub me, claims black entrepreneur Ric Lewis". The Times. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  19. ^ "Board of trustees Archives". Institute of Imagination.
  20. ^ "Trustees of Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation".
  21. ^ "Governance". King Solomon Academy.
  22. ^ "Board of Trustees of EYLA". eyla.org.uk.
  23. ^ "International Inspiration Annual Review 2011-2012" (PDF).
  24. ^ "Richard W. Lewis '84". Dartmouth College.
  25. ^ "Ric Lewis, International Council Member". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
  26. ^ McHugh, Molly (19 February 2010). "Methembe Ndlovu Wins Dartmouth College Social Justice Award". Grassroot Soccer.
  27. ^ "Alumni Council Announces Trustee Slate". Dartmouth College.
  28. ^ "Property investor Ric Lewis: 'Nobody wants to work with people they don't like'". Financial Times. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  29. ^ O'Dwyer, Michael (2020-08-14). "Meet Ric Lewis, the property investor creating opportunities for BAME students". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  30. ^ "The Mentor on acast". acast. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  31. ^ Freeman, Susan (12 February 2021). "Propertyshe Perspectives: ULI Europe Conference, innovation and real estate companies, European Leader Award for Ric Lewis, repurposing deals, interview with Landsec's Mark Allan". Property Week. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  32. ^ "Series 2, Episode 15: Ric Lewis". Channel 4 News.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Real Estate Investment Managers 2018". IPE RA.
  34. ^ "Boston Chamber" (PDF).
  35. ^ "Ric Lewis and Marion Waller Named as 2021 Urban Land Institute European Leadership Awards Winners". ULI Europe. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-03-29.