Event summaries, slides and recordings

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.

Theme(s)

Trade and international affairs

Economic growth and prosperity

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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 became Director General for Trade Negotiations at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in February 2023. From 1 June 2021 she was Director General for Trade Negotiations at the Department for International Trade (DIT). She joined DIT in August 2016.

Amanda’s previous responsibilities include:

  • leading the US negotiations
  • bilateral trade relationships
  • multilateral fora on:
    - trade
    - trade remedies and disputes
    - export controls

She is the cross-government senior responsible owner (SRO) for policy learning and skills and head of the DBT Policy Profession.

Prior to joining DIT, Amanda spent much of her career in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). She worked on domestic and international economic policy.

Amanda has also served overseas as the Deputy High Commissioner and Director of Trade and Investment in Singapore.

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