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British Business Bank appoints Kristen McLeod CBE as its Chief Strategy Officer

Press release 25 April 2024

The British Business Bank has appointed Kristen McLeod CBE as its new Chief Strategy Officer, effective from September 2024.

Kristen joins the British Business Bank from HM Treasury, where she has served as Advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Growth, Investment and Business since October 2022. That role involves supporting the Chancellor to develop his growth strategy for the UK economy.

Prior to this Kristen served as the Director of the Office for Life Sciences for the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Health and Social Care, reporting to two Secretaries of State with responsibility spanning policy on NHS innovation to industrial strategy for life sciences.

Kristen’s 19-year career in the civil service has included roles as Senior Responsible Officer for the UK Testing Programme which set up the UK’s Covid PCR testing network; Director of Strategy, Performance and Planning at the Department of Health and Social Care; and Principal Private Secretary (Chief of Staff) to the Secretary of State for Health.

Kristen was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021 for services to life sciences and holds a degree in History and French from University College London.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to drive the strategic direction of the British Business Bank in partnership with the Shareholder, Board and Executive. I look forward to leading the policy, strategy and economics teams, working with the business to deliver the Bank’s strategic objectives of driving sustainable growth, backing innovation, unlocking potential, and working to build the modern, green economy Kristen McLeod
It is great to welcome Kristen as our new Chief Strategy Officer. As a senior and respected civil servant and advisor to the Chancellor, Kristen brings a wealth of relevant experience to the British Business Bank to support our contribution to the UK’s growth strategy, and I look forward to working with her as a key member of our Executive team. Louis Taylor Chief Executive Officer, British Business Bank

ENDS

Further Information

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Notes to editors

About the British Business Bank

The British Business Bank is the UK government’s economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by improving access to finance for smaller businesses. Its remit is to design, deliver and efficiently manage UK-wide smaller business access to finance programmes for the UK government.

The British Business Bank is the UK government’s economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by improving access to finance for smaller businesses. Its remit is to design, deliver and efficiently manage UK-wide smaller business access to finance programmes for the UK government.

The British Business Bank’s core programmes support over £12.4 billion1  of finance to more than 90,000 smaller businesses2 .

As well as increasing the supply and diversity of finance for UK smaller businesses through its programmes, the Bank works to raise awareness of finance options available to smaller businesses. The British Business Bank Finance Hub provides independent and impartial information to businesses about finance options, featuring short films, expert guides, checklists and articles from finance providers to help make their application a success.

The British Business Bank is also responsible for administering the government’s three Coronavirus loan schemes and its Future Fund, together responsible for delivering £80.4 billion in finance to 1.67 million businesses. These schemes are now closed to new applications.

British Business Bank plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales, registration number 08616013, registered office at Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ. Wholly owned by HM government, the Bank and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. They are not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). A complete legal structure chart for the group can be found at the British Business Bank.

  • 1

    Figures as at the end of March 2023

  • 2

    Figures as at the end of March 2023

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