Member Article

Government recruits four leading British entrepreneurs to help drive Industrial Strategy

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has announced the recruitment of four new non-executive board members.

Such members are experts from outside government who provide oversight and challenge to the department in the development of policy and the management of resources, according to Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark.

55 year old Dame Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive of easyJet, joins the board with a wealth of understanding of the transportation and media industries.

Under her leadership, easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, has achieved record passenger numbers (now more than 73 million per year) and record profits, The airline entered the FTSE 100 in 2013. Prior to joining easyJet, she was Chief Executive of Guardian Media Group plc.

Kathryn Parsons, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of DeCoded, brings with her valuable expertise from the digital enterprise community sitting on the London Mayor’s Business Advisory Board, the government’s Cyber Security Board and she chairs the Digital Skills and Innovation Fund.

She has helped over 500 organisations – from FTSE100 companies to government departments and start-ups – to think and act differently in the digital world.

Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive of Informa,adds a combination of skills and experience gained through a career in the media and telecommunications industries, in both the private and public sectors.

He is the Group CEO of Informa plc. Previously he was the President and Managing Director of EMEA at Alcatel Lucent Inc, based in Paris, the founding CEO of Ofcom, and served as the Minister responsible for the Digital Britain Report.

Stuart Quickenden, Managing Partner at Boston Consulting Group, has had a 20 year career at Boston Consulting Group, a leading global management consultancy, culminating in him becoming Managing Partner.

He is a leading expert on organisational change, advising large organisations to help drive better performance at lower cost.

Greg Clark said: “These non-executive appointments to the board highlight the department’s commitment to strengthening our relationship with key business sectors.

“Our new board members are ideally placed to help us build an economy that works for all and ensure that we deliver a successful Industrial Strategy.”

Alex Chisholm, Permanent Secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, added: “I am delighted to welcome these new non-executive appointments to the department.

“They bring with them a wealth of knowledge from varied organisations and fast-paced business sectors that will bolster the knowledge and insight of the department as we refresh policy frameworks and work to deliver change.”