Team Members

Vanessa was appointed Non-Executive Director of UK Government Investments in September 2023.

Vanessa has more than 35 years’ experience working in the digital data community and has a background in geographical information and space applications. From 2000-2014, Vanessa was Director General and CEO of Ordnance Survey. From 2011-2015, she was a founding co-chair of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). Prior to joining Ordnance Survey, she held senior roles with the billion-dollar American software company, Autodesk Inc and the global media and publishing company, Pearson plc. Today, Vanessa is working internationally as a senior advisor to overseas governments, inter-governmental organisations and large private sector organisations.

Current appointments include:

• Director of Location International
• Chair of the UK’s Centre for Doctoral Training in Geospatial Systems
• Non-Executive Deputy Chair and a Trustee of the Alan Turing Institute for Data Science and AI
• Adjunct Professor at the University of Southampton
• Patron of two charities – MapAction and Cure Parkinson’s

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Andy was appointed Non-Executive Director of UK Government Investments in October 2023.

Andy is currently Chief Financial Officer of Aareal Bank AG having previously been Group Chief Financial Officer and Group Executive Director of Standard Chartered PLC from July 2014 until January 2024. Andy joined Standard Chartered from Vodafone Group PLC, where he spent 15 years including 9 years as Chief Financial Officer. Andy joined Vodafone Group PLC in 1999 as Financial Director for Vodafone Limited, and in 2001 he became Financial Director for Vodafone’s Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa Region. In 2002, Andy was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Verizon Wireless in the US and was a Member of the Board of Representatives of the Verizon Wireless Partnership. Andy became Chief Financial Officer of Vodafone Group PLC in July 2005, a position which he held until March 2014. Prior to Vodafone, Andy was Finance Director at East Midlands Electricity PLC. Andy was, until recently, the Senior Independent Director of Marks and Spencer Group PLC and is a former Chairman of the Hundred Group of Finance Directors.

Andy holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial economics from Nottingham University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

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Shehroze joined UKGI in September 2021 and currently serves as the organisation’s first Chief Data Officer. In this capacity Shehroze is responsible for overseeing the analytical work undertaken by UKGI and identifying opportunities to unlock efficiencies across the organisation by leveraging data and insights. In addition, Shehroze is responsible for leading the Portfolio Analysis & Engagement team within the Financial Instruments and Transactions Advisory Group (FInTAG). As part of this he has led work to aggregate contingent liability data from across government and drive data-driven decision making to improve risk management. Prior to joining UKGI, Shehroze lead an analytical unit within the Infrastructure and Projects Authority to bring together government’s £650bn National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline, advise on the delivery of major government projects and programmes as well as inform decision making around fiscal events. 

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Gareth joined the Board of UK Government Investments in July 2023.

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.

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Chad re-joined UKGI in January 2023, having spent 4 years as the Deputy Trade Commissioner for the Middle East and Director of Trade & Investment for Saudi Arabia, based in the British Embassy in Riyadh. Chad spent the first 8 years of his career at Unilever. He then joined the Government in 2007 and worked on regulatory reform policy, asset sales and trade & investment. During Chad’s previous spell at UKGI, he worked on a range of corporate assets, including leading the student loan sale programme.

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Sascha joined UKGI in April 2021. His private sector background is in investment banking with Lazard, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and CITIC Securities based in London.  He has led and advised on public and private M&A transactions as well as capital raisings across Europe. Sascha holds a degree in international management from the University of Manchester.

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Since joining UKGI (formerly the Shareholder Executive), Louise has worked on a wide range of transactions and governance projects working with a variety of government departments. Current projects include working with the Department of Energy and Net Zero in relation to HMG’s shareholding in Sizewell C, She previously led the shareholder team for Sheffield Forgemasters, having also worked on the Ministry of Defence’s acquisition of the business in 2021. Other projects have included the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank, and governance roles with energy, transport, infrastructure and environmental assets.

Louise joined UKGI from Citigroup, where she spent almost 10 years working on corporate advisory projects, M&A and equity transactions for companies in the UK and internationally.

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Mahnaz was appointed Non-Executive Director of UK Government Investments in September 2022. She is also the NED responsible for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Chair of the Remuneration Committee.

With 30 years of experience in finance, Mahnaz has been a Senior Executive at UBS, Citi and ANZ. She led Debt Capital Markets for EMEA and headed Markets for Europe and America. Whilst at UBS and Citi, she co-chaired their respective women’s leadership Executive Committees. She has previously served as a Senior Independent Director on the Board of Alternative Credit Investments, a FTSE 250 company. She has been elected the SID by Imperial College Council. Mahnaz holds a PhD in computer aided technology from Imperial College.

Current additional appointments:

• Non-Executive Director at Jefferies International Limited
• Senior-Independent Director of the Council at Imperial College where she is the Champion for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• Trustee of The Royal Anniversary Trust.

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Andrew was appointed a Non-Executive Director of UK Government Investments in September 2022.

From 2016 to 2020, Andrew was the Global Managing Partner of Allen & Overy LLP (and, previously, the Global Co-Head of Corporate and UK Managing Partner of Corporate at the firm). Andrew has more than 35 years of M&A and capital markets experience advising multinational corporations and global financial institutions.

Andrew is the Founder and Co-CEO of AGILIS Sports Advisory Limited, an M&A boutique focused on the sports sector.

Current additional appointments include:

• Member of the fundraising committee of Moorfields Eye Charity
• Board member of Factor Law Inc.
• Chair of the M&A Global Advisory Board at AON PLC

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Kalpana was appointed Non-Executive Director of UK Government Investments in September 2022. She is the NED responsible for Engagement.

Kalpana is also currently a Non-Executive Director of Janus Henderson plc, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and Chair of its Governance and Nominations Committee, in addition to being a Non-Executive Director of Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Previously, Kalpana was a member of the Takeovers and Mergers Panel of the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong from 2007 to 2014, and was a Non-Executive Director at Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, from 2015-2019.

Kalpana has over 35 years of international advisory, investment banking and asset management experience. Until 2013, she was Chief Executive of Macquarie Capital Asia, the investment banking and private equity division of Macquarie Group Limited. Prior to this, she was Head of the Asia-Pacific Mergers & Acquisitions Group and a Managing Director from 2001 in the Investment Banking Division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch based in Hong Kong. Kalpana is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. She holds a BSc Economics from the London School of Economics, and a Corporate Director Certificate from Harvard Business School.

Current additional appointments:

• Non-Executive Director of Janus Henderson plc
• Non-Executive Director of Pacific Basin Shipping Limited
• Founding Trustee of the Future is Bright Charitable Trust

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