Rajay Naik is Director of Government and External Affairs at The Open University (the UK’s largest University and the world leader in online learning) and Chairman of UK Funding at the Big Lottery Fund (the largest funder of charities in the UK investing over £900m per annum).

He serves on the boards of the National Careers Council and the UK-ASEAN Business Council, and as an Associate Director at Coventry City Football Club. Rajay was one of five panel members on Lord Browne's Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance. Previously he held senior roles in Local Government at Coventry City Council; Central Government at the Cabinet Office and in the voluntary sector at the Royal Society of Arts.

He is a former Chairman of the British Youth Council; Trustee of vInspired, National Youth Agency and Changemakers Foundation; and Council Member of the Learning and Skills Council. Rajay is a published author and holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from The University of Warwick.