About Us
Our Background
The idea to set up RIAC was born out of a 25th anniversary reunion of former City colleagues: whilst we have chosen many different paths after starting all together in the same trainee common room, many of us are passionate about and involved (at Board level) in the broad spectrum of the arts & culture sector.
We all felt that making the transition from passionate supporter of the arts to “being involved” is a daunting and often off-putting challenge for up and coming professionals. The composition of many Boards in the UK arts world is similar and often seems closed to those outside the right network. In addition, it isn’t easy to reconcile the time demands involved in work at larger corporates with outside interests.
Further conversations and investigations with seasoned philanthropists, non-executives of large arts organisations and senior arts organisation leaders (many of whom have agreed to join our network) confirmed our analysis and led, with their help, to the creation of RIAC in 2020.
Our FoundersOur Mission
We match individuals who are passionate about the arts and from a range of diverse professional backgrounds, with non-executive opportunities with suitable arts & culture organisations.
We help talented professionals take their passion for the arts to the next level by getting involved, taking on roles as non-executives and Trustees, and helping organisations by sharing their skills and experience.
We provide assistance to arts organisations to renew their Boards and attract young and energetic professionals with a particular interest in their activities by helping them identify the right candidates within our network who will help them thrive. Our support extends beyond finding the right Trustee and non-executive and also includes helping to coach and assist them during their tenure.
We aim to create a diverse network of people passionate about the arts, with varied professional backgrounds that is stronger than the sum of its parts: seasoned professionals (“The Brain Trust“) and all our volunteers within the network are there to help you develop in your new role and fulfil your goals.
Our goal is to help primarily small and medium sized organisations. We passionately believe that arts and culture should not just be confined to London and the South East, but to all the corners of the UK. We therefore ask that individuals be prepared to offer support to organisations of different sizes across the UK. As volunteers gain more experience, we will put them forward when opportunities with larger organisations within our network arise.
Founders
Raj
Raj Khatri has over 25 years investment banking experience, having started his career at UBS Warburg and worked covering the Global Metals and Mining sector and led teams at multiple leading financial institutions including Morgan Stanley, Macquarie and currently at Canaccord Genuity. Raj has been involved in supporting various charities and arts organisations. Raj is currently on the development board for the London Symphony Orchestra and has been a long term patron and supporter of the orchestra. In addition, Raj led Macquarie Foundation’s support for the Lords Taverner’s charity which is the UK leading disability sports charity. He and his wife have also been long term supporters of I India, a charity based in Jaipur, India, which works for the welfare and educational needs of street children. Raj graduated with first class honours from Bristol University in Economics.
Arts & Culture areas of particular interest
Classical music, modern art, sculpture and photography
Iain
Iain Drayton heads the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs in Asia ex Japan. He has been a banker for 27 years, with over two decades of experience in Tokyo and Hong Kong. Iain is a founding member of American Ballet Theatre’s Global Council, a Patron of The Poetry School, and a passionate investor in the theatre. He has extensive experience in business development and strategy, corporate governance, fund raising, and inclusion and diversity initiatives, particularly in Asia. He is a co-founder of the Get In Cambridge initiative, and is co-Chair of the 2025 fundraising campaign for Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He also sits on the Board of the China Development Foundation. Iain graduated First Class with Distinction from Trinity Hall, Cambridge and is fluent in Japanese.
Arts & Culture areas of particular interest
Ballet, theatre, jazz, poetry
Anna
Anna Rowe has been working as a strategic arts consultant since 2013. She specialises in developing resilient business plans in support of an organisational vision and identifying imaginative solutions to strategic challenges. Prior to her consultancy role, Anna was Chief Executive of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, General Manager of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Executive Director of Yellow Barn Music School and Festival in the US. She is chairman of the Alexander Whitley Dance Company and a trustee of both the ABO Trust and the Carducci Music Trust. Anna began her career in corporate finance, spending six years at the investment bank UBS Warburg in London and Hong Kong. Anna holds an MA in Cultural Leadership from City University in London and originally graduated in Mathematics from the University of Oxford.
Arts & Culture areas of particular interest
Performing arts, particularly music and dance
Cyrille
Cyrille Camilleri is a partner at Referencia International, a boutique private investor focusing on the consumer sector in France and Italy. After a brief foray in investment banking, Cyrille joined UBS’ European direct private equity division focusing on mid-size companies until 2006; he has extensive experience sitting on boards as a non-executive director and investor representative. Cyrille moved from Geneva, Switzerland, to the UK in 1992 and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge.
Arts & Culture areas of particular interest
Classical music and opera, poster art, sculpture and ancient art & history