Karen Blackett CBE
Biography
Karen Blackett CBE was appointed Non-Executive Director at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on 10 June 2025.
Karen is an experienced CEO, chairperson and chief operating officer. She is the former UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group.
Karen has extensive multinational experience, having previously served as EMEA Chief Operating Officer, with priority markets Russia, Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa and Israel. In 2014, Karen topped ‘The Power List’, as the first businesswoman to enter at number 1.
As a long-term champion of the creative industry sector, Karen has been a Non-Executive Director for Creative UK since 2016. Karen was appointed Chancellor of The University of Portsmouth in 2017, and as a Non-Executive Director for Diageo in June 2022. Karen is also a member of the Board of Directors for the British Fashion Council.
Karen also has extensive experience in the government sector, as a former Non-Executive Director of the Cabinet Office. She has also served as Ambassador for the Department of International Trade (DIT), as a member of the DIT GREAT Board, and as Race Equality Champion for Business, appointed by the then Prime Minister, Theresa May.
In April 2024, Karen was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. Karen received a CBE for services to advertising and the creative industries in the January 2025 King’s New Years honours.
Disclosure of political activity
As set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments, political activity of non-executive directors within the last 5 years must be disclosed. Non-executive directors are recruited through fair and open competition and political activity is not considered a bar to appointment.
Karen Blackett has the following political activity to declare:
- Karen donated £5,000 to David Lammy MP to support the office of the Shadow Foreign Secretary in advance of the General Election in July 2024. This was previously disclosed properly in the Register of Members’ Interests in line with requirements
- Karen has interviewed Rachel Reeves MP twice: onstage at The Business Engagement Day of The Labour Party Conference in September 2024, and in May 2025 for the Thirty Club of London. She also compered the DCMS Growth Summit in Gateshead in March 2025
- Karen was a founding trustee of The Black Equity Organisation, alongside David Lammy MP
Non-Executive Director
Board members give corporate leadership to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) by ensuring that the department meets the international policy priorities, Public Service Agreements targets and service delivery targets set by ministers. The role of a Non-Executive Director is to provide an effective and objective challenge to the rest of the Board and officials.
Previous roles in government
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Non-Executive Board Member