London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, May 25, 2025

Ministers hunt new chief as GREAT campaign boss quits

Ministers hunt new chief as GREAT campaign boss quits

Andy Pike, a respected figure in Whitehall, is stepping down as director of the UK’s flagship trade promotion campaign after two years in charge.

The government is to begin the hunt for a new boss of its flagship trade and cultural promotion campaign after the incumbent decided to step down after two years in charge.

Sky News understands that Andy Pike OBE resigned as director of GREAT earlier this month, and will leave the post in September.

Mr Pike informed the members of the GREAT campaign's private sector council - chaired by the former Fortnum & Mason boss Ewan Venters - in a memo in which he outlined proposals for the role to be open to private sector applicants.

He also referred to "unprecedented support, including…from the prime minister personally" for the initiative.


Last month, GREAT took the promotion of Britain's technology sector to the heart of Silicon Valley with a marketing effort called 'Unicorn Kingdom' - a reference to the number of UK-based start-ups which have attained a valuation of $1bn or more.

Mr Pike has had previous stints in charge of GREAT, and also worked in senior communications at the Northern Ireland Office and within the intelligence services.

In 2021, he replaced Dan Ramsay, who resigned to join the broadband infrastructure group CityFibre Holdings, at the helm of the GREAT campaign.

His departure will come amid ongoing debate about the effectiveness of Britain's trade promotion efforts, with international trade now having recently been merged with the Department for Business.

Sky News revealed last week that the government's Global Investment Summit would be delayed by several weeks from its original October scheduling.

Mr Pike could not be reached for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Implements New Housing Regulations Amid Development Challenges
Global Events: Key Developments in Culture, Conflict, and Policy
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Bruges Battles Overtourism as Visitors Steal Cobblestones and Historic Cities Struggle to Cope
Facial Recognition Technology Use in New Orleans Jail Escapees Search Under Scrutiny
Crypto Investor Arrested for Alleged Kidnapping and Torture in Manhattan
Labour MPs Divided Over £5 Billion Welfare Cuts
UK Signs £101 Million Annual Deal on Chagos Islands
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Welfare Cuts
Reform UK Gains Control of Lancashire Council
UK Government Introduces Measures to Accelerate Housebuilding
Government Delays Child Poverty Strategy Publication
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Carrie Johnson Announces Birth of Fourth Child
Russian Drone and Missile Strikes Kill 13 in Ukraine
Various Developments in UK Sports, Health, and Security
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Multiple Injuries Reported Following Stabbing Attack in Germany
Escalating Trade Tensions and Market Reactions
Major Global Events: Ukraine-Russia Prisoner Exchange, Nuclear Talks, and Other Developments
US President Threatens Apple with 25% Tariff on iPhones Not Made in America
Escaped Psychiatric Patient Sentenced for Killing Church Warden with Golf Umbrella
Police Scotland 'At Breaking Point' Amid Soaring Mental Health Absences
Asylum Seeker Jailed for Spreading Islamic State Propaganda Online
Billy Joel Cancels All Upcoming Concerts Due to Brain Disorder
British Taxpayers Face £31 Billion Loss from 2008 RBS Bailout
Tottenham Hotspur Clinch European Title Amid Manager's Defiant Message
Starmer's Winter Fuel Cut U-Turn Claim Deemed 'Not Credible'
Keir Starmer's NHS Boast Faces Scrutiny Over Comparisons During Strike Periods
UK Scientists Launch Urgent Study to Save Declining Bee Populations
Gary Neville Banned from Nottingham Forest's Stadium for Premier League Finale
Greenland Awards Mining Rights to Danish-French Consortium
Majority of Germans Want to Leave the Country, Poll Finds
Stabbing Attack in Germany Leaves Multiple Injured
OnlyFans Reportedly in Talks for $8 Billion Sale
Booz Allen Hamilton to Cut 2,500 Jobs Amid Federal Spending Reductions
JBS Gains Shareholder Approval for U.S. Stock Listing
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Development
Harvard Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Ban
Nippon Steel Forms Partnership with U.S. Steel, Headquarters to Remain in Pittsburgh
Trump Expands Tariff Threats to Apple and Samsung Devices
Oracle and OpenAI Plan $40 Billion Nvidia Chip Purchase for AI Data Center
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU Goods, Markets React
Americans Seek British Citizenship in Record Numbers Post-Trump Re-election
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
UK Justice Secretary Advocates for Good Conduct Release Policies to Alleviate Prison Overcrowding
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
×