US Foundation
There are over 4,500 Bristol graduates residing in the US. The University of Bristol’s US Foundation helps them to stay connected to each other, as well as to the University itself.
Purpose
The University of Bristol Foundation Inc exists in order to:
- Act as Bristol’s lead partner in the US;
- Advise and assist the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) with the development of strategy and activity in the US;
- Work closely with DARO to deliver the US programme of activity and communications;
- Direct, oversee and support volunteer ‘Campaign Ambassadors’;
- Set fundraising targets in collaboration with DARO;
- Support and work closely with regional Bristol Network Leaders in the US to foster a growing network of active alumni volunteers across the USA.
Impact
The support of the University of Bristol US Foundation is crucial for many of DARO’s worthy causes. This includes the Sanctuary Scholarships programme, which provides funds to enable people from asylum-seeking and refugee communities to come and study at the University. The Foundation also plays an instrumental part in funding some of the University’s most crucial research and in supporting early career researchers to become leaders in their field. Support given to the University by the US Foundation has also greatly bolstered the work of the Cabot Institute and significantly advanced the University’s environmental work.
Governance
Supporters of the University of Bristol created the University of Bristol US Foundation in 1992. The foundation is governed by an independent board of directors. As well as organising events and championing the University in the US, the US Foundation Board of Directors decide how funds donated by US alumni should be used to benefit the University of Bristol.
The University of Bristol US Foundation is a US non-profit organisation, tax exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. Gifts to the University of Bristol US Foundation are deductible to the extent allowed by law. All funds donated to the US Foundation Inc. are at the discretion of the Board and are also eligible for matched giving by many US corporations. The US Foundation is a United States Corporation organized in Massachusetts.
US Foundation Board Members
Timothy Parton (BSc 1986)
Timothy Parton studied Economics and Accounting at the University and graduated in 1986. He is a managing director and a portfolio manager within the JPMorgan Asset Management U.S. Equity Group. An employee since 1986, Tim has managed a variety of Small, Mid and All-Cap portfolios over his career. Tim has been managing the J.P. Morgan Mid Cap Growth strategy since November 2001 and the J.P. Morgan Growth Advantage strategy since its inception in September 2005. In addition, Tim is a co-portfolio manager of the J.P. Morgan Equity Focus strategy, the JPMorgan American Investment Trust and the J.P. Morgan Mid Cap Equity strategy.
Tim holds a B.Sc. in Economics & Accounting from the University of Bristol. He is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts and The CFA Institute and is a CFA charter holder. In addition to serving on the board of the University of Bristol US Foundation, Tim is a director of African People & Wildlife, a conservation organization based in northern Tanzania with activities in southern Africa.
Geraldine Keefe (MEng 2000)
Geraldine is co-head of Investment Banking for the Midwest Region and a member of the Industrials Group within the Investment Banking Division. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2000 as an analyst on the UK Advisory team in London and transferred to the Industrials Group in San Francisco in 2004. After leaving in 2006 to pursue an MBA, Geraldine rejoined the firm in 2008 as a member of the Americas Special Situations Group in the Securities Division in New York, where she worked on minority equity investments in privately owned businesses. She returned to the Industrials Group in 2009 and was named vice president the same year.
Geraldine was named managing director in 2013 and partner in 2016. Geraldine serves on the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, on the Posse Foundation Chicago Advisory Board and on the board of the University of Bristol US Foundation. She is also a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. Geraldine earned a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Bristol in 2000 and an MBA, with high distinction, from Harvard Business School in 2008.
Dr Una Ryan OBE (BSc 1963, Hon DSc 2009)
Dr. Una Ryan has extensive experience leading public, private and non-profit companies. She serves on the boards of Cortexyme (CRTX), RenovoRx (RNXT), Elemental Machines, Cambridge in America and the University of Bristol US Foundation. Dr. Ryan is an LP at Breakout Ventures and Lionheart Ventures. She focuses on women-led ventures as Managing Director of Golden Seeds, and partner in Astia Angels. She has a portfolio of early-stage companies in San Francisco and Boston.
She was a serial CEO of Diagnostics for All, Waltham Technologies and AVANT (now CLDX). Continuing a career translating science to successful businesses, Dr. Ryan is now translating science to art and founded ULUX bringing science perspectives to the art world.
Dr. Ryan holds a PhD from Cambridge University, BSc degrees and an honorary DSc from the University of Bristol. Her academic career included Professorships of Medicine at Miami, Washington and Boston Universities. She held the titles Howard Hughes Investigator, American Heart Association Established Investigator, and NIH MERIT Awardee. She received numerous honors including Albert Einstein Award for outstanding achievement in the life sciences, Cartier Award, World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer and Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Tim Ritchie (BA 1978)
After graduating from the University of Bristol in 1978, Tim joined Barclays Bank International. His banking career continued until 2010 and included time in the US (Boston and New York) and London. He set up the bank’s loan syndications team in New York and moved to London in 1994 to become global head of loan syndications. Later known as Global Loans, this business grew within Barclays Capital to take responsibility for the execution and distribution of corporate and leveraged loans originated by the Barclays Group, as well as loan trading and structured trade finance, and worked closely with the bank’s loan portfolio managers. During this period, Tim spent time on the Management Committee of Barclays Capital and served as Chairman of the Wholesale Committee of the British Bankers Association.
Tim was also the founding chairman of the Loan Market Association, a position which he held from 1996 to 2005. The Loan Market Association, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, is the trade body for the EMEA syndicated loan market and now has over 750 member institutions, including banks, institutional investors, borrowers, law firms, rating agencies and other service providers.
Tim retired from Barclays in 2010 and his primary residence is on Cape Cod. He enjoys playing tennis and golf regularly. He and his wife Judi are collectors of contemporary art and have a close affiliation with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, which is now part of Tufts University. Tim also serves on the school’s Advisory Board.