THE RUMI FOUNDATION

Trustees

— A diverse group of leaders.

Jay Verjee - Chairman

— Jay Verjee is the Chairman of The Rumi Foundation and manages the foundation’s endowment. He was born in Kenya and brought up in Canada. After receiving a Double First in Law from the University of Cambridge, Jay went on to work for Linklaters, one of the world’s largest corporate law firms. At Linklaters he was based in London, Moscow and Shanghai. Since then he has worked as Finance Director at Thomas Goode & Co and managed an array of family real estate and other investments in the UK, Eastern Europe, North and South America and Africa. In 2011, Jay graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar.

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Brent Pollard

— Brent Pollard has had a highly successful career as a consultant, businessman and entrepreneur. After a short stint playing county cricket he went into international banking, sitting on several company boards and managing a portfolio of £430 million.

He left the banking world to set up his own consultancy and, over a number of years, acquired and successfully ran several businesses that ranged from a chain of nursing homes to commercial real estate. In 1997 he and his wife acquired Whitbread Hop Farm and turned it from a loss-making site to a prime visitor attraction and venue. Voted Kent Business of the year, Brent sold Whitbread Hop Farm in 2006 and decided to relocate his family to Perth, Australia for a few years.

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David Muriithi

— Based in Nairobi, David Muriithi is Managing Trustee of Music Sans Frontieres, a regional arts trust dedicated to enhancing professionalism within the music industry in East Africa. He began his career as an auditor for Ernst & Young, where his work with clients such as Thorn EMI gave him a unique insight into the music industry.

He subsequently launched a record label and talent management agency that became the region’s leading entertainment company. In 2003 he created Music Sans Frontieres and, through the trust, he works with government agencies, NGOs and other organisations to help promote the creative arts in the region. He is also the Managing Director of Amalgamated Properties, a large family real estate business with over 30 employees.

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