# Commercial Education Trust

Commercial Education Trust is a Foundation based in London, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Foundation
- **Headquarters:** London, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** London, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1989
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** thecet.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://uk.linkedin.com/company/commercial-education-trust

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry established the Commercial Education Trust in 1989 to advance commercial learning across the United Kingdom. Executive Director Mahad Ali, who also serves as a Governor at the University of Derby, runs the day-to-day operation alongside a board that includes Chairman Emeritus Robin Booth, the Trust's former Secretary from 1990 to 2012. The board expanded in 2024 with the appointment of five new trustees — Dann Cleveland, Susanna Kalitowski, Nigel Standing, Larissa Howells, and Diane Betts — bringing in expertise spanning non-profit finance, corporate governance, and education policy. The Trust deploys capital through a listed investment portfolio, with grants focused exclusively on commercial education from primary school through higher education. Unlike generalist foundations, CET's mandate is tightly scoped to building work readiness and economic participation skills. The Trust maintains a formal link to its founder through Ali's seat on the LCCI Skills Committee and a shared registered office in London. Its peer network includes membership in the Association of Charitable Foundations. Ali was appointed Executive Director in March 2022, shaping the Trust's current trajectory. The Trust runs through a lean operating structure — a small professional team supporting the grant-making committee chaired by Anne O'Hagan — rather than a large in-house program staff. CET's architecture is structurally distinct: an independent charity with its own invested endowment, governed by a refreshed board, but permanently tethered to the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry's policy network.

## Sectors

- Education

## People

- Mahad Ali — Executive Director
- Anne O'Hagan — Chair of the Grants & Development Committee and Trustee
- Nicholas Martel — Trustee
- Dann Cleveland — Trustee
- Susanna Kalitowski — Trustee
- Nigel Standing — Trustee
- Larissa Howells — Trustee
- Diane Betts — Trustee
- Robin Booth — Chairman Emeritus

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Commercial Education Trust?

The Trust's board of trustees is ultimately responsible for the stewardship of its listed investment portfolio. Day-to-day management is overseen by Executive Director Mahad Ali, who was appointed in March 2022. Specific external investment managers or advisors are not publicly disclosed.

### What is the relationship between the Commercial Education Trust and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry?

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry originally established the Trust in 1989. The two entities maintain a close strategic relationship, including sharing a registered office in London. Executive Director Mahad Ali also serves on the LCCI Skills Committee, connecting the Trust's grant-making to employer demand signals.

### Does the Commercial Education Trust make grants to individuals or only to organizations?

CET works with various organizations to develop commercial education programs, rather than making direct grants to individuals. Its stated goal is to equip people with skills for work and a thriving UK economy, operating through partnerships with educational and training bodies from primary school to higher education.

### How is the Commercial Education Trust funded?

The Trust is funded through a listed investment portfolio that was seeded by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It operates as an independent endowment, using investment returns to finance its grant-making in commercial education. The total size of the portfolio is not publicly disclosed.

### What is the Commercial Education Trust's geographic focus?

The Trust focuses exclusively on the United Kingdom. Its grant-making mandate is to promote commercial education for the benefit of the public within the UK, and all current operating relationships center on UK-based organizations and educational institutions.

## Related profiles

- [London & Capital](https://altss.com/profile/london-capital)
- [London Community Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/london-community-foundation)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

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