We are beyond thrilled that David Pritchard and James Dudfield have joined SVT as equity partners. Together they bring a treasure trove of experience in impact management in both nonprofit, corporate, and investment settings, passion to improve fairness in the way decisions are made, and wonderful senses of humor, so we could not be more excited for this next step with them.
About James
James began teaming with SVT in the winter of 2020, having arrived in San Francisco with his wife for her new role there a week before the shelter in place began. We’d met through David, who had done some advisory work a few years earlier with James’ previous firm, Social Ventures Australia. James had also held roles with Partners in Performance and McKinsey, supporting clients in redefining their purpose and aligning their efforts to improve outcomes for the people they serve.
Having managed teams across most functional areas in retail banking and wealth management, and having significant oil and mining industry experience, James brings a corporate and finance perspective to the management of social and environmental impact. His wide-ranging versatility extends to strategy, marketing, sales, distribution, product, operations, compliance and change management, and he knows how to harness each of these to advance positive impact.
Informed by techniques he has honed in his work and life, including while racing motorcycles and luring fish on the Heads (see below!), James is skilled at focusing on what matters and engaging others to realize better results in both small and major business transformations. He and his wife now split their time between her native Chicago and his native Sydney.
About David
David has been with SVT as a principal since 2019, building upon several years of prior collaboration, and having wooed Sara and then-COO Aislinn Betancourt with his mellifluous accent. Previously he worked as economist for New York City government before joining consulting firms in Washington, DC and then London, where he headed up New Philanthropy Capital’s measurement and evaluation team. David returned to the U.S. in 2014 where, alongside consulting, he has taught Master’s level courses in non-profit planning and evaluation. He and Sara were instrumental in the founding of Social Value US, the United States chapter of Social Value International, in 2017, of which he is the president.
A creative mind disguised as a sober professional, when not working David can often be found on stage with fellow comedy thespians or running around a soccer field. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Oxford University, a Master’s in Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and an MBA from Yale School of Management. David and his family are based in Milwaukee.
With our partnership, we bring deep, cross-sectoral capabilities to our work with clients, and both a real enjoyment of and the flexibility to work hands-on that is scarce in bigger firms.
The future looks bright!
David, Sara and James enjoying a fog-free day in San Francisco.
James caught one at the Heads just now!