Prime Minister's Business Ambassadors
The Business Ambassadors were business leaders who worked with the government to promote the UK’s excellence internationally, including highlighting trade and investment opportunities for UK businesses, and working to help secure inward investment to the UK.
The Prime Minister’s Business Ambassadors network closed on 3 January 2019.
The Prime Minister has formed 5 new Business Councils to advise on how to create the best business conditions in the UK after our exit from the European Union (EU).
The role of each Business Council will be to provide the Prime Minister and her ministerial team with regular, high-level advice and policy recommendations on critical issues in their sectors, enabling companies to invest, grow and succeed in the UK once it leaves the EU.
The government’s Export Strategy sets out how we will engage with businesses of all sizes to understand and help them overcome their trading concerns, as well as offering a strong package of export support for all businesses.
The Business Ambassador Network was established in 2008. The 43 strong membership consisted of Prime Minister appointed chief executive officers (CEOs) and senior business representatives, supported by a secretariat in the Department for International Trade (DIT).
Business Ambassadors acted as powerful advocates of the UK abroad, promoting the UK’s excellence, economy, business environment and its reputation as the international trade and inward investment partner of choice. Business Ambassadors had a sector focus, reflecting their particular skills, contacts and expertise.
Business Ambassadors undertook a wide variety of engagements, which included:
- leading trade delegations
- 1-2-1 meetings with senior government ministers
- hosting high level incoming visitors
- meeting key businesses in market
- keynote speeches at business events
In December 2018 before the closure of the network, the Business Ambassadors were:
| Sector | Name | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Industries | Sir John Sorrell CBE | Sorrell Foundation |
| Creative Industries | Anya Hindmarch CBE | Anya Hindmarch |
| Creative Industries | Lucian Grainge CBE | Universal Music Group |
| Creative Industries | Nick Allott OBE | Cameron Mackintosh |
| Creative Industries | Archie Norman | Lazard (Ex ITV) |
| Creative Industries | Dame Natalie Massenet DBE | Chairman of the British Fashion Council / Ex Net-a-Porter |
| Creative Industries and Small Creative Businesses | Holly Tucker MBE | NotOnTheHighStreet.com / Holly & Co |
| Energy | Rt Hon Brian Wilson | Havana Energy and Harris Tweed Hebrides (creative / retail) |
| Energy | Baroness Brown | |
| Energy | Ayman Asfari | Petrofac |
| Energy | Samir Brikho | Ex Amec Foster Wheeler |
| Financial Services | Douglas Flint CBE | Ex HSBC |
| Technology / Media / Financial Services | Tim Luke | Barclays |
| Financial Services | Alastair Lukies CBE | Motive Partners |
| Financial Services | Katherine Garrett-Cox CBE | Gulf International Bank (UK) |
| Infrastructure / Construction / Transport | Andrew McNaughton | Systra Group |
| Infrastructure / Construction / Transport | Rupert Soames OBE | SERCO |
| Infrastructure | Liv Garfield | Severn Trent |
| Infrastructure / Construction / Transport | Tim Wates | Wates Construction |
| Manufacturing / Advanced Engineering | Paul Kahn | Cobham plc |
| Manufacturing / Advanced Engineering | Sir Richard Olver KBE | Ex BAE Systems |
| Manufacturing / Advanced Engineering | Robin Southwell OBE | Ex Aerospace Defence Security (ADS) Group Ltd |
| Manufacturing / Advanced Engineering | Ron Dennis CBE | Ex McLaren Technology Group |
| Pharmaceutical / Healthcare | The Rt. Hon. Professor Lord Kakkar PC | UCL |
| Pharmaceutical / Healthcare | Sir Malcolm Grant CBE | NHS England |
| Pharmaceutical / Healthcare | Sir Andrew Witty | Ex GSK |
| Pharmaceutical / Healthcare | Harriet Fear MBE | Formerly of MAP BioPharma |
| Professional and Business Services | Caroline Plumb OBE | Freshminds |
| Professional and Business Services | Sir Alan Parker | Brunswick Group |
| Professional and Business Services | Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE | Ex-MITIE |
| Professional and Business Services | Steve Varley | EY |
| Professional and Business Services | Emma Jones MBE | Enterprise Nation |
| Professional and Business Services | Will Lawes | Lazard |
| Retail / Food and Drink | Paul Walsh | Compass Group |
| Retail / Food and Drink | Marc Bolland | Blackstone Group (Ex M&S) |
| Retail / Food and Drink | Paul Polman | Unilever |
| Media / Cross Sectoral | Karen Blackett OBE | MediaCom |
| Technology | Stephen Kelly | SAGE |
| Technology | Dr Mike Lynch OBE | Invoke Capital |
| Technology | Saul Klein OBE | LocalGlobe |
| Technology | Brent Hoberman CBE | Mydeco.com and Founders Forum |
| Non-specific sectoral | Lord Powell | |
| Non-specific sectoral | Lady Barbara Judge CBE |