People

Hanneke Smits

vanleerfoundation.org

Hanneke Smits serves on Wellcome’s investment committee, appointed in2025 for a three-year term. Her investment career spans private and public markets, including chief investment officer of Adams Street Partners, CEO of Newton Investment Management and global head of BNY Investments. The Van Leer Foundation’s own biography describes those BNY roles as previous positions. She holds a BBA from Nijenrode University and an MBA from London Business School, and has led industry initiatives including Level20 and the30%Club.