(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed former Darktrace Chief Executive Officer Poppy Gustafsson as the UK’s new investment minister, finally filling the post just days ahead of a major business summit in London.
Gustafsson, who will be made a peer in the House of Lords, is an “accomplished entrepreneur who brings invaluable experience to the role,” the premier said in a statement released by his office late on Thursday.
Filling the role will come as a relief for Starmer after his government — in power for three months already — had struggled to fill the post, with their first choice candidate, Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, pulling out. The appointment comes as Starmer prepares to host an international investment summit on Monday, which he has touted as a key part of his pledge to spur growth.
Gustafsson, 42, stepped down last month from the British cyber-security company she co-founded, after it agreed to be bought by private equity firm Thoma Bravo in a deal worth more than $5 billion.
Her new role is split between the department for Business and Trade and the Treasury. Wegg-Prosser, who co-founded the political advisory firm Global Counsel with Labour veteran Peter Mandelson, withdrew in order to avoid having to make costly changes to his business ties.
Past occupants have tended to be investment bankers or business leaders, including former Barclays Plc Deputy Chairman Gerry Grimstone and ex-Financial Times Group Chief Executive Officer Rona Fairhead.
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