Kenan Poleo
Biography
Kenan Poleo was appointed Director at Office for Life Sciences in May 2026.
Kenan Poleo was previously appointed the Consul General and Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia from 1 September 2021 to 28 February 2026.
Prior to being appointed to Istanbul, Kenan Poleo was Her Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Europe, based in Berlin, Germany.
His previous roles include Head of Global at Innovate UK, supporting business led innovation and international collaboration, and Regional Director for the UK Science and Innovation Network for Europe, Russia and Turkey at the FCDO, also based at the British Embassy in Berlin.
He held numerous senior positions across UK government including Deputy Director of EU Energy and Environmental Legislation, Deputy Director UK Manufacturing Strategy and Assistant Director Chemicals Industry and Civil Contingencies. He was posted to Slovenia as a National Expert during their EU Presidency working on energy and climate change.
Prior to working for the UK Government, Kenan was a practitioner and then manager in the NHS, commissioning services around sexual health, HIV/AIDS, refugee and homelessness health and the health needs of people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities. He studied African and East Mediterranean History at Birmingham University, followed by an MA in Turkish Studies at London (SOAS) University.
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Director
The director role will report into the:
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
- Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
- Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
The director will also work in collaboration with Office for Life Sciences (OLS) Executive Chair, Steve Bates OBE
The Director of OLS leads the cross-government delivery of the recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan, part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.
They also have responsibilities stemming from the innovation aspects of the recently published 10 Year Health Plan.
Working closely with the Executive Chair for the Office for Life Sciences, they will be responsible for ensuring the UK is on track to be the third most important life sciences economy globally by 2035
Previous roles in government
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HM Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region
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HM Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region
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British Consul General, Istanbul