John Craven

John Craven is a senior leader who currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of System 2, an applied research organisation that develops practical solutions to address society’s most intractable problems and applies behavioural science to enable young people experiencing disadvantage to thrive. They are an Honorary Fellow in Educational Equity at the University of Birmingham and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. They previously led upReach as Chief Executive from 2016 to 2022, growing the team from 5 to 75 employees across five offices and securing partnerships with 70+ employers and universities. Earlier in their career, they held senior finance roles including Director, Head of Structured Products & Capital Markets for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Merrill Lynch (2000–2010) and Director, GEF & Cross Asset Solutions at Societe Generale (2010–2012).