Amanda Brooks CBE
Biography
Amanda Brooks was appointed Interim Permanent Secretary at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on 6 April 2026.
Amanda previously served as Director General for Trade Negotiations at DBT from February 2023 to April 2026, and Director General for Trade Negotiations at the Department for International Trade (DIT) from June 2021 to February 2023. Before this, Amanda held several director-level roles, including leading the UK’s negotiations with the United States and establishing the UK’s trade remedies framework.
Prior to joining DIT in 2016, Amanda spent much of her career in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), with a responsibility for domestic and international economic policy. Amanda has also served overseas as the Deputy High Commissioner and Director of Trade and Investment in Singapore.
Amanda holds an MBA from Imperial College.
Interim Permanent Secretary
The Interim Permanent Secretary is responsible for leading the Department for Business and Trade, and is the Secretary of State’s principal policy adviser.
Previous roles in government
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Director General, Trade Negotiations DBT
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Director General, Trade Negotiations, DIT