Our governance

The main decision-making, executive and managerial bodies at Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

The roles and structure of our board and committees.

Department for Business and Trade Board

The Departmental Board is the principal governance body of DBT and is chaired by the Secretary of State. The Permanent Secretary is also a member.

Its role is to support the Secretary of State in the strategic and operational leadership of the department.

Members

Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC)

The Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) provides independent advice to support the Board and Accounting Officer in their responsibilities for issues of risk, control and governance.

Members

  • Karina McTeague - Non-Executive Board Member and Chair of the ARAC
  • Sir Stephen O’Brien - Non-Executive Board Member: 
  • Peter Fleet - Non-Executive Board Member
  • Hanif Barma - Independent Member
  • Jim Watson - Independent Member
  • Sharon Dean – Independent Member

Attendees

  • Gareth Davies - Permanent Secretary
  • Bidesh Sarkar - Chief Financial Officer
  • Susan Clark - Financial Audit Director, National Audit Office National Audit Office (NAO)
  • Leena Mathew - Value for Money Audit Director, International Group, National Audit Office (NAO)
  • Gwen Williams - Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA)

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee:

  • drives the department’s overall performance and delivery against DBT’s mission, vision and objectives
  • ensures the effective management of the department
  • develops and implements operational strategy
  • plays a decision-making role on issues escalated from its sub-committees

Members

  • Gareth Davies - Permanent Secretary (Chair)
  • Crawford Falconer - Second Permanent Secretary and Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser
  • Andrew Mitchell - Director General Domestic & International Markets and Exports
  • Joanna Crellin - Director General Trading Systems 
  • Amanda Brooks - Director General Trade Negotiations
  • Ceri Smith - Director General Strategy and Investment
  • David Bickerton - Director General Business Group
  • Gavin Lambert and Caleb Deeks - Director General Market Frameworks
  • Tara Smith - Chief Operating Officer
  • Tim Reid - Chief Executive UK Export Finance 
  • Anthony Green - Ministerial Strategy Director
  • Bidesh Sarker - Chief Finance Officer
  • Ben Cropper - Chief Economist
  • Finance Business Services and Security - Director: vacant
  • Becky Woodward - Director Human Resources
  • Jon Tunney - Director of Communications

Patrick Kilgarriff (Legal Director) will receive Executive Committee papers and be invited to attend specific items when his expertise is needed.

Performance and Risk Committee

The Performance, Finance and Risk Committee ensures that departmental activity is on budget, on target and on time. It achieves this by:

  • ensuring that the department has robust planning, performance, finance, and risk frameworks
  • effectively monitoring and challenging the department’s performance, financial control and risk picture

Members

  • Andrew Mitchell - DG Domestic and International Markets and Exports (Co-Chair)
  • Tara Smith - Chief Operating Officer (Co-Chair)
  • Graham Zebedee - Director, Trans-Pacific Negotiations and Policy
  • Rosemary Pratt - Director, Export Control & Sanctions
  • Rowena Limb - Director, Cities and Local Growth
  • Graham Russell - Chief Executive Office for Product Safety and Standards
  • Mike Warren - Director, Labour Markets
  • Rodney Berkeley - Director, Sustainability and Infrastructure
  • Martin Kent - HMTC (APAC)

Corporate members

  • Bidesh Sarkar - Chief Finance Officer
  • Becky Woodward - Director, HR & Organisational Development Director * Anthony Green - Director of Ministerial Strategy
  • Ben Cropper - Chief Economist and Director of Analysis Group

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee (IC) leads on investment decisions related to high value or high-risk projects and programmes in DBT’s portfolio.

Members

  • Amanda Brooks - Director General, Trade Negotiations (Co-Chair)
  • David Bickerton - Director General, Business Group (Co-Chair)
  • Ana Osbourne - Director of Business Grants and Investment
  • Niall Mackenzie - Director of Consumer and Competition Policy
  • Claire Vince - Director of Global Trade and Delivery
  • Marian Sudbury - Director of UK Regions
  • Graham Floater - Director of US, Services, Investment and Digital
  • Julia Sutcliffe - Chief Scientific Adviser

Corporate members

  • Bidesh Sarkar - Chief Finance Officer (Subject Lead)
  • Paul Kellett - Director of Ministerial Strategy
  • Anthony Green - Commercial Director
  • Ben Cropper - Chief Economist and Director of Analysis Group
  • Caragh McKiernan - Project Delivery and Change Director

People Committee

The People Committee oversees all aspects of the workplace environment, including DBT’s strategic, policy, and operational approach to Human Resources, internal communications and diversity.

Members

  • Jo Crellin - Director General, Trading Systems (Chair)
  • Gavin Lambert and Caleb Deeks - Director General Market Frameworks (Co-Chair)
  • Jen Ashby and Ian Shepherd - Director, Goods, Regulatory Environment and Gulf Cooperation Council
  • Philippa Makepeace - Director, Global Supply Chains and Economic Security
  • Rachel Gwyon - Director for Trade Advocacy and World Events
  • Tom Ridge - Director, Trade and Investment Negotiations (Goods)
  • Eoin Parker - Director, Company Law and Governance
  • Carl Creswell - Director, Business Resilience
  • Chris Barton - HM Trade Commissioner, Europe

Corporate members

  • John Tunney - Director, Communications and Marketing
  • Bidesh Sarkar - Chief Finance Officer (also Diversity & Inclusion Champion)
  • Becky Woodward - HR and Organisation Development Director
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