Big Lottery Fund

Peter Wanless

Chief Executive

It is a delight to work for an organisation with the responsibility of helping communities and people most in need throughout the United Kingdom improve the quality of their lives by making a difference to the things which matter most to them

Peter Wanless has been the Big Lottery Fund's Chief Executive since 1 February 2008. He has overseen development of “Big Thinking – a strategic framework to 2015” and the five funding portfolios within it (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and UK-wide). During this time BIG has also become an increasingly significant distributor of non-Lottery funds. He has championed the importance of effectiveness, efficiency and quality of customer experience, describing the role of the Lottery distributor as being about much more than getting cash out of the door.

Peter was previously a senior Civil Servant at the Department for Education, specialising in schools’ reform.

Between 1987 and 1998 Peter worked at the Treasury, operating in a range of roles including Head of Private Finance Policy and Principal Private Secretary to three Cabinet Ministers.

Peter is married with a ten-year old son. He was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2007 New Year’s Honours List for distinguished public service.