Brand new Board of Trade includes CEOs from leading food and drink, education and creative industry companies.

Business and Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade Kemi Badenoch has announced a refresh of the Board of Trade at the meeting of one of the government’s highest-profile advisory bodies on trade and economic issues.

The Board, which has existed in various forms since the 17th century, offers advice to the government on its trade and exporting strategy, and has included members from across government, academic institutions and business.

In line with the Government’s ambition to grow UK exports every year until we hit a trillion annually by 2030, the focus of the new Board will be on working with leaders from the UK’s top growth sectors to identify and address export barriers so businesses can achieve their full potential. The creative industries, for example, are heavily represented with fashion, film and music CEOs all on the revamped Board.

As well as senior leaders from top global companies and innovative UK businesses, such as Tufan Erginbilgiç Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce, and Sir Lucian Grainge, Managing Director of Universal Music Group, the refreshed Board of Trade will include thought leaders with an expertise in trade and the economy, including Lord Mayor of London Nicholas Lyons and Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation.

Business and Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade Kemi Badenoch said:

The brilliant new members of the Board of Trade, with their wealth of experience and expertise, will help us to identify barriers to exporting and represent the best of Brand Britain to the world. Some are calling for another dry, report-writing board, but this new board will be fixers. As we seize the immense trading opportunities post-Brexit, we need to pull our socks up and be a team of doers. I’m confident the new Board of Trade will fulfil that ambition.

Pearson CEO Andy Bird said:

I am excited to be appointed as an Advisor to the Board of Trade and look forward to working with the other members of the Board and the Secretary of State on issues that will support the UK’s economic growth and prosperity. As CEO of the world’s leading learning company, I firmly believe in the power of innovation to enable transformation, and I hope I can bring this to bear in my advisory role.

Dulas Managing Director Ruth Chapman said:

I am delighted to be joining the newly convened Trade Board as an Advisor. As a leader of an SME with extensive experience of exporting products globally, I look forward to bringing my expertise on the challenges and opportunities of international trade, helping the UK to achieve its exporting growth ambitions.

Anya Hindmarch, CEO, Anya Hindmarch said:

I am excited to join as an Advisor to the Board of Trade to support business and specifically business export. I hope that my experience of leading a creative company means that I can feed back ‘from the coal face’ with ideas and solutions that help support and unblock barriers to growth. I see business as the ‘engine of the economy’ and believe that the creative industries are pivotal to the Secretary of State’s mission to meeting her ambition of a trillion annually by 2030.

As part of the first engagements of the new, revamped board, today Lord Dominic Johnson hosted an investors breakfast at Fortnum and Mason with a host of luxury brands and investors including Chanel, Bremont and Votary.

New Board of Trade advisers are:

• Andy Bird CBE
• Anya Hindmarch CBE
• Ash Amirahmadi OBE
• David Meller CBE
• Karen Betts OBE
• Libby Hart
• Lord Daniel Hannan
• Paul Golding
• Peter O’Kane
• Rt Hon Nicholas Lyons
• Rt Hon Tony Abbott AC
• Ruth Chapman
• Sarah Kenny OBE
• Sir Lucian Grainge CBE
• Tufan Erginbilgiç
• Vivienne Stern MBE

Alongside the Board of Trade, the Department for Business and Trade provides a range of country and market specific support to exporters of all sizes. This includes the Export Support Service, Export Champions, International Trade Advisors and UK Export Finance, all targeted at getting businesses across the UK exporting more. Latest figures show UK exports were £849bn in the 12 months to the end of July 2023, up £118bn (16%) in current prices, compared to the previous 12 months.