Social Capital Partners appoints Matthew Mendelsohn as new CEO

TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2023 –Social Capital Partners (SCP) today announced the appointment of Matthew Mendelsohn as its new CEO, effective January 2, 2024. Jon Shell, SCP’s current Managing Director will become SCP’s Chair.

Matthew is a Canadian public policy leader. For over 25 years, he has designed and implemented public policy solutions that work in practice and has advised governments, organizations and elected leaders on ways to improve economic, social and democratic outcomes. Matthew is a former deputy minister with the governments of Canada and Ontario, and was the founding Director of the Mowat Centre, a public policy think tank at the University of Toronto. Most recently he was a Visiting Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group.

“Matthew is the ideal leader for our new chapter as we pursue our next big ideas,” said Bill Young, Founder of SCP. “As SCP enters its next phase, we will focus on transformational public policy. Our goal is to drive changes that will confront wealth inequality, the thickening barriers to intergenerational mobility, and obstacles to asset ownership for many Canadians.”

In describing SCP’s next phase, Jon Shell, added: “Good public policy can expand opportunities for Canadians to own businesses, homes and assets. Canada can continue to deliver on its promise, but we must do more to combat the financialization of our economy and create more opportunities for Canadians and communities to build wealth.”

“I have long been a big admirer of SCP and its relentless focus on having a positive impact on the lives of Canadians through concrete action, focused investments and coalition building,” said Matthew. “Rising wealth inequality is corrosive to democratic societies and diminishes all of us. The Canadian dream must remain a realistic aspiration for more Canadians, and public policy needs to catch up to the structural realities of our economy. SCP can help drive this work.”

“Good public policy can expand opportunities for Canadians to own businesses, homes and assets. Canada can continue to deliver on its promise, but we must do more to combat the financialization of our economy and create more opportunities for Canadians and communities to build wealth.”