LONDON: The Board of Trustees of the British Asian Trust has announced the appointment of Hitan Mehta OBE as its new Chief Executive.
Mehta succeeds Richard Hawkes OBE, who has stepped down after 10 years of transformative leadership.
The Board extended its thanks to Hawkes for his decade of service. It said: “Under his leadership, the British Asian Trust has significantly expanded its scale and impact, improving the lives of more than 18 million people across South Asia. The board wishes him every success in the future”.
Mehta played a pivotal role in establishing the British Asian Trust in 2007 as its first-ever employee. Over the past 18 years, he has worked closely with His Majesty King Charles III, including previously as The Prince of Wales.
As a long-standing member of the British Asian Trust’s senior leadership, he has worked side by side with Hawkes to grow the organisation into one of the most respected and innovative international charities working across South Asia.
Throughout his tenure, Mehta has been central to the British Asian Trust’s global expansion, helping shape its growth across the UK, South Asia, the Gulf, and most recently North America.
He has led the Trust’s efforts to deepen engagement with the global South Asian diaspora, building influential networks across philanthropy, finance and business to strengthen the Trust’s mission worldwide.
Hawkes commented: “After an amazing 10 years at the British Asian Trust, now is the right moment for me to explore new challenges and pass on the baton to Mehta, who I have worked with closely for the last decade. I would like to thank the board for the privilege of being CEO and wish the organisation every success in the future”.
Expressing his reflections on the appointment, Mehta said, “It is an honour to step into this role at such a pivotal moment for the British Asian Trust. As we enter an important period of global and UK diaspora”.
