From 2017 to 2019, she served as Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, having been appointed a life peer in the House of Lords in 2017, where she led initiatives to boost UK exports, negotiate trade frameworks, and champion innovation-led growth.

Before her public service, Baroness Fairhead was Chair and CEO of the Financial Times Group (2006-2013), guiding its digital transition and strategic realignment; and earlier served as Chief Financial Officer of Pearson plc (2002-2006). She was the last Chair of the BBC Trust (2014-2017), steering the organisation through its transition to a unitary board model.

Earlier roles include executive leadership positions at ICI and Bombardier, as well as non-executive directorships at HSBC (2004-2016), PepsiCo (2014-2017), and The Economist Group (2005-2014).

She brings deep cross-sector expertise in:

• Media governance & digital transformation – leading the FT’s shift from print to digital and managing public-level media oversight at the BBC

• International trade & economic diplomacy – designing and executing export strategies in government roles

• Corporate finance & board strategy – managing financial leadership as CFO and guiding multinational boards on M&A, talent and governance

• Cross‑sector governance architecture – chairing and advising FTSE-listed, private equity, and public bodies with a focus on ethics, diversity, and board effectiveness

Educated at Cambridge (law, double first) and Harvard Business School (MBA), Baroness Fairhead also holds honorary doctorates and is an Honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge. Known for her strategic clarity, institutional sophistication, and value-based governance, she is a compelling mentor for leaders navigating organisational transformation, public-private engagement, and global responsibility.