Julia Unwin

Dame Julia Unwin (born 6 July 1956) is a British businessperson who was chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT). The Guardian in 2007 described her as a "major player in the voluntary sector". In 2012, she was appointed by the Scottish Government as a member of the Expert Working Group on Welfare and Constitutional Reform. In January 2026 she became the chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Early life Unwin is the daughter of Peter William Unwin, a retired diplomat.

Career 1978–1980: Field worker, Liverpool Council for Voluntary Service 1980-1982: Community Liaison officer, London Borough of Southwark social services 1982–1986: Head of Voluntary sector liaison team, Greater London Council 1986–1992: Director, Homeless Network 2001–2006: Board member, National Consumer Council 2003–2006: Deputy Chair, Food Standards Agency

She was chief executive of JRF and JRHT from January 2007 to December 2016. Previous roles include being a freelance consultant between 1993 and 2006 – during this time Unwin undertook policy analysis, governance support and project evaluation. She has been a member of the peer review of Cabinet office (2000), a member of the Capability Review at DCLG (2006), Social Policy Adviser at NatWest Bank, and Senior Adviser to the Baring Foundation. She is a member of the Council at the University of York.

In January 2026 she became the chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2006 as deputy chair of the Food Standards Agency for services to consumers,

She received an Outstanding Leadership Award at the 2010 Charity Awards. The presenter said: "...it's hard to overstate the impact that her work has had on social policy in the UK."

Publications Lending money, the issues for grant making trusts, Baring Foundation, 1995 Trends, Myths and Realities: Funding Policy and the Local Voluntary Sector, with Peter Westland; Association of Charitable Foundations, 1996 Who Pays for Core Costs?, ACEVO, 1999 Speaking Truth to Power, Baring Foundation, 2004 The Grant Making Tango: Issues for Funders, Baring Foundation, 2004 The Voluntary Sector delivering public services: Transfer or transformation?, with Will Paxton, Nick Pearce and Peter Molyneux; Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2005 Fruitful Funding: A guide to levels of engagement, NCVO, 2005 The role of kindness in public policy, Carnegie UK Trust