Well known North East business figure Edward Twiddy has been appointed to a senior advisory role by the Chancellor.
Mr Twiddy, a co-founder of Atom Bank and chair of venture capital investment firm Northstar Ventures, is among three top level appointments to the board of directors at the Treasury. Mr Twiddy is due to take up his position at the beginning of September and will serve an initial three-year term.
The move marks a return to the Treasury for Mr Twiddy, who went on secondment from his position as deputy director of Local Government and Regions at the Government department in 2012 to become the first director of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, overseeing its early efforts to boost growth across Tyne & Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. He left that role in 2014 to become Atom Bank's chief innovation officer, joining finance entrepreneur Anthony Thomson and former First Direct CEO Mark Mullen.
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Atom became the 海角视频's first digital-only bank to be granted a 海角视频 regulatory licence and has gone on to attract investment from BBVA, Toscafund and Infinity Investments Partners. In 2023 the Durham-based bank - which is due to move to new headquarters in Newcastle - reported its first operating profit.
Mr Twiddy joins former John Lewis chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield and economist and journalist Jenny Scott, who has held senior roles at the BBC and Bank of England. Together as non-executive directors, the trio are intended to use their business expertise and experience to help the Treasury run as efficiently as possible.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "I’m really pleased to welcome Sir Charlie Mayfield, Edward Twiddy and Jenny Scott to the board, as we build on our partnership working with business. Between them, they bring a huge amount of experience and fresh thinking. Their insights will be invaluable as we focus on growing the economy to deliver for working people as part of our Plan for Change."
Sir Charlie brings more than 20 years' experience in the private sector and seven years within the public sector as chair to the 海角视频 Commission for Employment and Skills. The Treasury said he brings leadership and experience of change management in developing talent and capability.
Meanwhile Ms Scott, who played a role in shaping and guiding communications at the Bank of England during the financial crisis and Brexit referendum, co-founded communications advisory firm Apella Advisors in 2019. She was previously economics correspondent at the BBC and co-presented BBC2's The Daily Politics show with Andrew Neil.