The super-rich are shaping our world. Award-winning journalist Paul Vallely follows previous bestsellers Bad Samaritans & Pope Francis with Philanthropy. He takes us from the Greek man of honour, the Roman patron, the Jewish prophet and Christian scholastic to the Victorian moralist, the welfare socialist, the celebrity activist and today’s wealthy mega-giver. Exploring the successes, failures and contradictions of philanthrocapitalism, he asked tough questions of philanthropists and thinkers including Richard Branson, Jonathan Sacks and Soros chief Patrick Gaspard. He is joined by Joanne Black, philanthropist and a director of the Regatta Group in a conversation chaired by senior philanthropy advisor Lizzy Steinhart.

Joanne Black is a Director of the Regatta Group. She runs their UK retail portfolio and is responsible for the Craghoppers division. She also leads the Groups ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) programmes. Whilst innovation has been a driving force within the business, integrity and people are at the heart of her work ethic. Joanne is Co-Chair of Nightingale Hammerson and trustee of both Benson and Lionel Black Foundation and the Regatta Foundation. Joanne manages to mix a busy work life in Manchester with home life in London, which she shares with her husband and two children.

Paul Vallely is a top-flight journalist with a international reputation as a commentator on religion, society and political issues. He was correspondent for The Times in Ethiopia during the famine of 1984-5 for which he was commended as International Reporter of the Year. He was the co-author of Bob Geldof’s massive-selling autobiography, Is That It? and was later involved in the organisation of Live 8. In 2004 he was seconded to the Commission for Africa set up by the British prime minister, Tony Blair where he worked on the Commission’s report Our Common Interest (later published by Penguin). He is the editor of The New Politics: Catholic Social Teaching for the Twenty-First century and has advised the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales. He was created a CMG ‘for services to journalism and to the developing world’ in 2006.

Lizzy works in a multi family office offering strategic philanthropic advice and hand holding to clients on how best to maximise the value and outputs of charitable giving and in making social impact investments.  She brokers different individual interests and skills, engagement and legacy creation with charities, social enterprises and businesses with purpose.

She believes strongly in the role of philanthropy in binding families together in their understanding of family wealth, values and succession issues.  She advocates that philanthropy should not be transactional, but an important journey based on trust, relationships and caring deeply for different parts of civil society that touch our lives.

Outside of work, she currently serves as Trustee for the Francis C Scott Charitable Trust.