AGS Airports Ltd Chair Lena Wilson CBE has been made a member of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Business Council.
Lena was appointed AGS Airports Chair in May last year and is one of the UK’s most respected senior business figures.
The former Senior Investment Advisor to the World Bank in Washington DC and CEO of Scottish Enterprise joins 27 other members from a range of industries and sectors, including manufacturing, financial services, energy, and world-renowned science and technology sectors.
The revamped Business Council, co-chaired by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, will work in partnership with the UK Government, helping to drive a high productivity, high growth economy over the next 12 months and level up local economies around the country.
The Council will also support the UK’s recovery from Covid-19 and prioritise delivering the green industrial revolution, creating new jobs and developing a skilled workforce, and unlocking global investment.
Building on the successes of last year’s Build Back Better Business Council, the Business Council will retain and implement the three core pillars of the Plan for Growth framework – infrastructure, innovation, and skills – against which Council members will continue to translate goals into measurable action.
Lena, who has also served as a member of Scotland's Financial Services Advisory Board and as Chair of Scotland's Energy Jobs Taskforce, said: “The routes, services and jobs delivered by the aviation industry play a key role in supporting our economy and will continue to do so as we look to rebuild the vital connectivity needed for the UK to thrive on a global stage.
“Our post-pandemic recovery also presents us with an opportunity for climate action. The UK’s aviation industry continues to lead the way and was the first to publish a national net-zero aviation commitment anywhere in the world, so I look forward to working with both the UK Government and the Business Council while representing this most crucial sector.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We’ve got one of Europe’s most open economies thanks to our vaccine rollout programme, and with Plan B restrictions firmly behind us we can now go further to turbocharge the economy and unleash the benefits of Brexit.
“Harnessing the extraordinary powers of our new Business Council, together we will knuckle down on creating new high skilled, high wage jobs, driving innovation in science and tech, and mobilising investment to deliver the green industrial revolution – all while levelling up and securing the UK as the best place to do business.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “Thanks to the speed of our vaccine rollout and unprecedented package of covid support we have the fastest growing economy in the G7 – and it’s vital we continue on that path by grasping the opportunities ahead.
“We’re investing billions in innovation, infrastructure and skills to release the potential of the whole of the UK and ensure the UK continues to be the most attractive place in the world to do business.
“This new Businesses Council will help drive this vision forward and ensure our Plan for Growth is delivered successfully - levelling up across the country and powering a high growth, high productivity economy.”
The Business Secretary and Trade Secretary will be standing members, with the addition of the Education Secretary to focus on skills. Other Cabinet Ministers will attend meetings as required.
The first meeting of the Prime Minister’s Business Council is scheduled for the coming weeks, and will be co-chaired by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.