SEATTLE, Feb. 8, 2016 — Vulcan Inc. today announced the appointment of Anthony Banbury to the position of chief philanthropy officer, a newly created senior-level role in which he will focus on extending and increasing global philanthropist Paul G. Allen’s efforts to create deep and meaningful impacts across current focus areas such as wildlife conservation, ocean health, climate, education and the arts. Banbury, who currently serves as U.N. assistant secretary-general for field support, has also held senior positions in the U.S. government, including in the White House and Pentagon. He is expected to start in his role at Vulcan at the end of March.
“We are incredibly excited to have Tony Banbury join the Vulcan team,” said Vulcan President and Chief Operating Officer Barbara Bennett. “Paul Allen’s philanthropic programs are a catalyst for some of the world’s brightest minds to challenge conventional thinking and realize new possibilities, and Tony’s experience and stature will help drive our programs to another level of momentum. He is joining us at an ideal time, when Paul’s philanthropy is expanding. Tony’s unique perspective and expertise will further amplify the efforts of one the most active global philanthropists in the world today.”
Banbury said, “In my role at the United Nations, I’ve had the privilege of serving those in need, advocating for a better world, and working for large-scale, system-level change. Leaving such a role requires that the new role provide a truly unique opportunity to make the world a better place. I am excited to have found just such an opportunity working to support Paul Allen and his vision to change the world by improving the way people live. His approach to philanthropy is defined by a limitless vision of what is possible when we view the future with optimism, determination and a collaborative spirit.”
Paul G. Allen is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading philanthropists. He was recently awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and over the past decade has consistently ranked among The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy 50. He is a signatory of the Giving Pledge – a commitment to dedicate the majority of his wealth to philanthropy – and has already exceeded $2 billion in giving. This past year, Allen donated $113 million toward philanthropic causes, and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation distributed $47 million in grants, focusing on brain and cell science, wildlife conservation, climate change, Ebola, and arts and culture.
Allen’s giving in 2015 is indicative of his larger approach to philanthropy – one that focuses on possibility and discovery across many disciplines as fundamental to conceptualizing how to drive change. Allen consistently explores the frontiers of knowledge by pushing boundaries in many of our world’s challenges. His $100 million commitment to Tackle Ebola was the largest private donation during the epidemic and was deployed across a spectrum of complementary approaches including research, prevention and emergency response. Allen’s Great Elephant Census – an effort to establish accurate and up-to-date population data to improve conservation – is the first pan-African aerial survey of the species in more than 40 years and the largest wildlife survey ever undertaken. The Allen Institute has also driven significant progress in brain and cellular research, and is dedicated to making the insightful observations that can drive innovative new investigations leading to progress in our overall understanding of human physiology.
Banbury has held numerous positions in the United Nations in his career, including serving as the special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, the U.N.’s first-ever emergency health mission and U.N. systemwide mission. In addition, he served as the United Nations crisis coordinator for the Central African Republic in the winter of 2013 and 2014, and led the United Nations team that established the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-U.N. Joint Mission for the Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons in 2013. Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Secretary-General appointed Banbury as his acting principal deputy special representative, a position he served in until the end of March 2010. He has also served as the Asia regional director for the U.N. World Food Programme, where he managed humanitarian relief and development operations in 14 countries and played leadership roles in the relief operations for the 2004 tsunami and Cyclone Nargis in 2008.
Earlier in his career Banbury worked for the United Nations Border Relief Operation in Thailand, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia and the United Nations Protection Force during the wars in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. He also served in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and in the Department of Humanitarian Affairs.
About Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc. creates and advances a variety of world-class endeavors and high-impact initiatives that change and improve the way people live, learn, do business and experience the world. Founded in 1986 by philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul G. Allen, Vulcan oversees various business and charitable projects including real estate holdings and investments in dozens of companies, among them the Seattle Seahawks NFL, Seattle Sounders FC Major League Soccer, and Portland Trail Blazers NBA franchises, First & Goal Inc., the Seattle Cinerama Theatre, Experience Music Project, the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen Institute for Cell Science and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
