Directors from both Arup and Balfour Beatty have a seat on the government’s new Business Council, which has been set up to advise on how to fuel an economic recovery after the covid-19 pandemic.
Arup global transport leader Isabel Dedring and Balfour Beatty chief executive Leo Quinn are among 30 members of the ‘Build Back Better Council’ which aims to work with the government to unlock investment, boost job creation, and promote Britain internationally.
The Council will be co-chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, with business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng as a standing member.
At the first virtual meeting of the council, Johnson will outline the current covid-19 situation as well as plans to rebuild the economy after the crisis has passed.
The Council will meet quarterly but with further meetings agreed with the Prime Minister and Chancellor if required. Each member is appointed to the Council for a term of 12 months.
Johnson said: “We know the best way to rebuild our economy is to beat covid which is why we have invested billions in new vaccines and a national testing operation so that we can reopen the economy safely as soon as possible in the future.
“But despite this we – like many other countries – face a huge economic challenge.
“This Build Back Better Council will ensure that government and businesses continue to work closely together. It will provide an important forum for frank feedback on our recovery plans and will help ensure the steps we are taking are the right ones.”
List of Council members
Isabel Dedring, Arup
Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty
Stephen Welton, BGF
Rachel Lord, Blackrock
Bernard Looney, BP
Sean Doyle, British Airways
Philip Jansen, BT
Poppy Gustafsson, Darktrace
Penny James, Direct Line
Ronan Harris, Google
Emma Walmsley, GSK
Lord Deighton, Heathrow
Mark Tucker, HSBC
Dame Carolyn McCall, ITV
Thierry Bolloré, Jaguar Land Rover
Dame Sharon White, John Lewis Partnership
Robert MacLeod, Johnson Matthey
Cressida Hogg, Landsec
Nigel Wilson, Legal & General
Vivian Hunt, McKinsey & the CBI
Ron Kalifa, Network International
Karen Jones, Prezzo
Laxman Narasimhan, Reckitt Benckiser
Liv Garfield, Severn Trent
Carl Ennis, Siemens
Martin Murphy, Syncona
Ken Murphy, Tesco
Alan Jope, Unilever
Charlotte Hogg, Visa
Sir Ian Wood, Wood
