CEO, UBS Optimus Foundation

Phyllis Costanza

Phyllis Costanza was appointed CEO of the UBS Optimus Foundation in 2011. Optimus is UBS’s in-house Foundation dedicated to helping clients fund impactful philanthropic programs that improve children’s lives globally. Phyllis has been instrumental in reshaping the Foundation’s strategy and introducing innovative financing vehicles, like the first Development Impact Bond. Prior to UBS, she was a senior executive and Board Member of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), a UK-based philanthropic organization, linked to the hedge fund TCI. She also has more than a decade of experience as a management consultant, and has worked in the public sector as the New York City Representative for New York State Governor Mario Cuomo, advising on policy and politics in Manhattan. In addition to her role as CEO of the UBS Optimus Foundation, Phyllis is also a member of the Boards of both the Power of Nutrition and the Micronutrient Initiative. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.