Inside the Department for Business and Trade with Gareth Davies, Permanent Secretary
Author WIG Date 12 Oct 2023
A recording of the WIG Inside the Department for Business and Trade with Gareth Davies, Permanent Secretary. WIG is delighted to host Gareth Davies CB, Permanent Secretary, along with David Bickerton, Director General Business Sectors and Amanda Brooks CBE, Director General Trade Negotiations, for this event exploring the role and remit of the new Department for Business and Trade. Watch to: - Gain insight on policy priorities for the department both on the domestic business agenda and internationally - Discuss how the DBT is working with the private sector on domestic policy and international trade - Identify where there are opportunities for increased engagement and collaboration between the DBT and private sector Please note the Q&A is not included in this recording. Closed captions and transcripts are available when watching the event recording.
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Speakers at the Event
Gareth Davies is Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business and Trade. Previously he was Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Trade.
Gareth has also been the Second Permanent Secretary and a Director General in the Department for Transport. His responsibilities included decarbonising transport, technology, international and security.
Earlier in his career he was a Director General in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He has led the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and was a Private Secretary in Downing Street.
Gareth started his career in PricewaterhouseCoopers working across Central and Eastern Europe and has worked for AIA, the life insurance company based in Hong Kong.
David Bickerton became Director General for Business Sectors at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in February 2023. He was Director General for Business Sectors at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) from 2 August 2021 to 7 February 2023.
Before joining BEIS, David was a Partner at Clifford Chance in the UK. He was the Managing Partner for London and the Middle East. He also led the law firm’s public sector practice and their work for the UK government.
Amanda Brooks has been Director General for Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations in the Department for Business and Trade since June 2021. Amanda leads teams: negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) and leading the DBT contribution to the reset of the UK-EU relationship; implementing some trade agreements, including aspects of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and Windsor Framework; providing policy leadership for work on market access, multilateral trade, and development of broader economic relationships; and developing related domestic regulatory policy to improve trade and domestic outcomes together.
Amanda joined the then Department for International Trade in 2016. Her prior roles include Director of Business Innovation, and Deputy High Commissioner and Director of Trade and Investment in Singapore. Amanda holds an MBA from Imperial College.