Membership
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-01)

List of current board members of the Industrial Development Advisory Board (IDAB) and their biographical details.

Ben Alexander (Chair)

Ben Alexander has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector. He was a director at Deutsche Bank in London where he was co-head of derivatives trading and subsequently a partner of Close Brothers Private Equity where he was involved in institutional fund raising and sat on the boards of a variety of UK companies. He is currently an external member of Cambridge University finance committee, board member of early-stage businesses and a commercial advisor to cabinet office.

Appointed: 2 May 2024 Term ends: 1 May 2027

Catherine Colloms

Catherine Colloms has over 25 years’ experience across the public and private sector, specialising in infrastructure, tech and telecoms. She has advised corporates on working in partnership with government to deliver major infrastructure and environmental, social and governance projects and brings stakeholders together to solve economic and social challenges and devise commercial and policy solutions to help address them.

She spent 8 years on the executive of BT Openreach and was also a director at Brunswick Group. She is on the advisory board of Labour Digital and is a strategic adviser to a rural full-fibre telco.

Appointed: 1 May 2025 Term ends: 30 April 2028

Sacira Coric

Sacira, a Director at Turner & Townsend, is a global infrastructure and project finance executive with a 25-year track record in establishing and managing global infrastructure businesses for multinationals in the UK, Europe and North America; advising debt and equity investors as well as public sector authorities on infrastructure finance and development, operation and maintenance, acquisitions, refinancing and privatisations. Particular expertise in major transport schemes, water and clean energy and decarbonisation.

Sacira’s expertise builds upon the knowledge and understanding of public sector value for money drivers, private financiers’ interests and concerns and most prevalent challenges arising on major capital delivery programmes.

Active contribution in industry thought leadership forums and events.

Appointed: 23 January 2020 Reappointed: 23 January 2023 Term ends: 22 January 2026

Paul Hetherington

Paul Hetherington is an accomplished non-executive leader, serving as Chair of several organisations and Non-Executive Director at the BRE Group. With over 20 years of experience, he excels in guiding strategic direction, governance, and sustainable growth in industrial and manufacturing sectors. Having been a Chief Executive and Managing Director, he is passionate about mentoring leaders and fostering innovation. His commitment to robust governance and sustainable development drives impactful decision-making for thriving industrial ecosystems in the UK and across the globe.

Appointed: 17 April 2023 Term ends: 16 April 2026

Silvia Holgado Gomez

Silvia has been Head of Commercial Banking at BBVA UK since 2019, where she leads relationships with UK-based corporate clients and drives the development of a global relationship model across BBVA’s international network. She focuses on delivering strategic financial solutions and expert support in every region where clients operate.

Prior to her current role, Silvia built her career in Spain, holding various roles within BBVA’s Business and Corporate Banking division. She brings over 28 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Silvia holds a BA in Economics and Business and an MSc in Economics. She has also served as an associate lecturer at university level, teaching microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance, and banking.

She is a certified EFPA European Investment Practitioner (EIP) and holds an ISF Adviser Level 1 qualification. In 2021, she completed the MBA Fundamentals online program at the London School of Economics.

Beyond her professional role, Silvia is committed to education and mentorship. She served as a Board Member of the Omnia Learning Trust from 2020 to 2024, and actively mentors emerging talent through IMFAHE, the University of Westminster, and other mentoring initiatives.

Appointed: 17 April 2023 Term ends: 16 April 2026

Angenika Kunne

Angenika Kunne has over 16 years of experience in corporate advisory and investing across infrastructure, renewable energy and energy transition. Angenika is a managing director and the Head of Infrastructure Equity at Aviva Investors. She is responsible for the continued growth of Aviva Investors’ infrastructure equity platform across the UK and Europe, including portfolio management and asset origination activities for its flagship Climate Transition Real Assets Funds.

Angenika previously co-headed the investment team at White Summit Capital, a private equity real assets investor specialising in the energy transition, decarbonisation and sustainability. Prior to this, she was an Investment Director at John Laing, with a focus on the mid-market, renewables, and energy infrastructure. She also spent more than 11 years at Macquarie Capital, latterly as Senior Vice President, focusing on a range of sectors including digital infrastructure and PPPs.

Appointed: 17 April 2023 Term ends: 16 April 2026

Viral Mehta

Viral Mehta is a partner at Oakley Capital, a pan-European private equity firm. He has over 15 years of investing experience across a variety of sectors and geographies, and 3 years of prior mergers and acquisitions experience.

Outside of work he is currently involved with the British Asian Trust and was formerly a trustee of 2 educational charities.

Appointed: 1 May 2025 Term ends: 30 April 2028

Mark Poulton

Mark is an Independent Member of Council of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, renowned for its research, post-graduate studies and continuing education in public and global health. He is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and Chair of the Uganda Unit Committee.

He is also a non-executive board member serving on the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee of the UK government Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.

Mark was a partner at Clifford Chance, an international law firm headquartered in London, for 35 years, retiring at the end of April 2023. He advised corporates across a wide range of sectors on domestic and international acquisitions and disposals, business partnerships, restructuring and governance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic he was part of a team advising the UK government on securing the development and supply of COVID-19 vaccines and investment to scale up COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capability in the UK. Through the second half of his career, he held various management roles culminating in leadership of the firm’s Corporate Practice in London. He was a member of the firm’s Inclusion Committee and partner sponsor of Accelerate, the firm’s gender parity affinity group.

Appointed: 17 April 2023 Term ends: 16 April 2026

Andy Simpson

Andy qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand (PwC) and subsequently spent more than 30 years in senior positions in the food industry, with experience across a number of quoted, family, and private equity businesses. He was Group Chief Financial Officer for 15 years at 3 of the largest privately owned businesses in East Anglia, most recently at a major UK maltings company.

Andy has significant international experience having lived and worked in the USA, Bermuda, the Netherlands and Ireland. Andy currently volunteers as a trustee, mentor, and writer, in his local community.

Appointed: 1 May 2025 Term ends: 30 April 2028

James Wise

James is a partner at Balderton Capital, a $5 billion asset under management (AUM) venture fund where he has a specific focus on AI, productivity and energy investments. He sits as a board member and observer for multiple portfolio companies, including Sophia Genetics (Nasdaq-listed $SOPH), Depop (acquired by Etsy), Tibber and GoCardless, and has been involved in the sale of companies to Salesforce, Microsoft, Epic Games and Elastic.

Prior to joining Balderton, James helped to launch and run one of the UK’s first social venture funds, providing support and capital to social enterprises. He has worked with entrepreneurs and businesses in Europe and Africa and as a consultant with McKinsey & Company.

As well as the professional experiences above, James is an author and served in 2011 as a Specialist Adviser to Parliament.

Appointed: 17 April 2023 Term ends: 16 April 2026

Andrew Wright

Andrew holds several non-executive roles including Chairman of AW Hainsworth, creating woollen cloth under Royal Warrant. He recently completed a 9-year stint on the West Yorkshire LEP leading on manufacturing and innovation. Prior to this, he spent 10 years managing a high-tech engineering business in Yorkshire making motors for Space and instruments for life sciences; and 9 years on Teeside leading Johnson Matthey’s chemical catalyst business, formerly ICI’s Agricultural division.

He spent 18 years working for BP Chemicals in several roles, from industrial relations in Grangemouth refinery, to leading a large textile monomer business.

Appointed: 17 April 2023 Term ends: 16 April 2026