Retail veteran Ken Towle appointed Chair of Trustees at Lumos

29.01.2025

 

LONDON, Wednesday 29th January – Lumos, the international children’s charity founded by J.K. Rowling, today announced the appointment of Ken Towle as Chair of Trustees.

With a career spanning retail leadership and consulting, Towle brings strategic expertise to Lumos, an organisation dedicated to realising every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world.

Having held pivotal roles at retail giants Tesco, Alshaya, Asda, and Nisa, and consulted with global firm the Boston Consulting Group, Towle has developed a valued global perspective. Currently a Senior Advisor with KPMG and Trustee of Prostate Cancer UK, he is a corporate leader committed to social transformation.

“I am honoured to Chair an organisation doing such critical work,” Towle stated. “Having worked across continents – from the UK to China, the Middle East to Europe – I’ve witnessed firsthand the stark inequalities children face globally. Lumos’ mission to reunite children with families and transform care systems is not just admirable, it’s essential.”

Towle’s appointment comes at a critical time for Lumos. The charity has been at the forefront of systematic change in care reform, working in multiple countries to transform institutional care into family and community-based support.

J.K Rowling, Founder and Life President of Lumos said: “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Carol Copland for her exceptional service as Chair of the Board. Her leadership has been outstanding – from guiding the board and championing good governance among trustees, to providing invaluable support to our CEO and management team. While we’re sad to see her departure, we’re fortunate to have found an excellent successor in Ken. His arrival comes at an exciting time as Lumos embarks on implementing its new strategy, and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Howard Taylor, Lumos CEO said:  ”Ken represents the perfect fusion of corporate strategy and humanitarian vision. His global experience is not just a professional asset – it’s a transformative force for our mission.”

 

About Lumos

Lumos works to realise every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world. Our vision is a world in which all children grow up in safe and loving families within supported communities.

Founded in 2005 by author J.K. Rowling, Lumos partners with governments, civil society and young people with lived experience to transform care systems globally and advocate for family-based solutions that help children thrive. We ensure that families receive the support they need to stay together or reunite, and that children grow up in family-based settings such as foster or kinship care, not institutions. Despite clear evidence of the harms of institutionalisation, an estimated 5.4 million children worldwide continue to live in institutions. And a much larger number of children are at risk of institutionalisation – those living in poverty, experiencing domestic violence and abuse, and living in countries affected by conflict.

 

Media Contacts

Please contact Freya Paleit, Deputy Director of Communications at [email protected].

 

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