Tomas Carruthers

Chief Executive at Project Blackthorn

Tomas Carruthers is a prominent figure in the field of financial innovation and social impact investing. He is currently a Founding Partner at FEST (Financial Ecosystems for Systemic Transformation), an organization that aims to accelerate the development of financing for systemic transformation.2

Background and Career

Carruthers has a long history in the financial sector, particularly in democratizing access to capital markets:

He spent two decades building and growing retail financial services companies, including ESI (which became E*Trade UK) and Interactive Investor International plc.1
As CEO of the Social Stock Exchange (SSX), he worked on bringing impact investing into the mainstream.1
He has been instrumental in developing systems that allow retail investors to participate in public offerings, including for companies like lastminute.com and Facebook.1

Innovative Approaches

Carruthers has been at the forefront of several innovative financial initiatives:

He pioneered online public offerings, enabling retail investors to participate in IPOs that were traditionally reserved for institutional investors.1
He has been a strong advocate for regional stock exchanges, believing they can increase transparency and stakeholder responsibility.1
Carruthers has worked on creating ethical stock exchanges, with a focus on businesses that are pro-social and sustainable.1 3

Recent Endeavors

In recent years, Carruthers has been involved in various projects:

He was behind an initiative to create a Scottish Stock Exchange, though this project did not come to fruition.4
He has partnered with a California-based social entrepreneur, indicating his continued interest in social impact and financial innovation.4
As a Founding Partner of FEST, he is working to accelerate the development of financing for systemic transformation.2 3

Tomas Carruthers continues to be an influential voice in the intersection of finance, technology, and social impact, advocating for more accessible and ethical financial systems.