Decision

Summary of business appointments applications - Tera Allas

Updated 6 January 2016

Tera Allas left her role as Director General for Stategic Advice at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in January 2014.

1. Senior Fellow, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI)

Mrs Allas sought advice on accepting a role as a Senior Fellow with MGI, a non-profit think tank, fully funded by the partners of McKinsey & Company Inc. Her responsibilities would be to identify economic issues of global importance to governmental and business decision makers. The Committee noted that Ms Allas formerly worked at McKinsey.

The Committee noted that the role was likely to involve contact with Government, as MGI frequently presents its findings to Governments, including in the UK. However, Mrs Allas stated that MGI does not lobby on anyone’s behalf, it simply outlines its analysis and findings and does not charge for any of its work.

The Prime Minister accepted the Committee’s advice that there was no reason why she should not take up the appointment, subject to the conditions that:

• Mrs Allas should not draw on privileged information available to her as a Crown servant;

• for two years from her last day in Crown service, Mrs Allas should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government, Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of her new employer, its parent companies or its clients; and

• as this approval relates only to this appointment with MGI, Mrs Allas should make a further, separate application to the Committee should she propose to undertake any work with McKinsey & Company, whether paid or unpaid.

The letter containing the final advice was sent in June 2015 and the appointment was taken up in July 2015.

2. Board Member, Innovate UK

Tera Allas sought advice on accepting a role as a Board Member for Innovate UK, an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by BIS.

The Committee note that the nature of Innovate UK meant that the new role may involve contact or dealings with her former department, primarily so that board members understand the broader context in which Innovate UK operates. However, the role will not include contractual or financial dealings with BIS and Mrs Allas did not have access to commercially sensitive information about any competitors of her new employer.

The Prime Minister accepted the Committee’s advice that the application be approved subject to the conditions that:

• she should not draw on privileged information available to her as a Crown servant; and

• for two years from her last day of service, she should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of her new employer or its clients.

The letter containing the final decision was sent in March 2015 and she took up the role later that month.

Baroness Liddell recused herself as she has had dealings with Innovate UK.

3. Board Observer, Green Investment Bank

Tera Allas sought advice on accepting an appointment as a Board Observer for the Green Investment Bank as part of the Shareholder Executive’s Women on Boards scheme.

The Prime Minister accepted that Committee’s advice that this application be approved subject to the conditions that:

• she should not draw on privileged information available to her as a Crown servant; and

• for two years from her last day of service, she should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of her new employer or its clients.

The letter containing the final decision was sent in February 2015 and she took up the role later that month.

4. Senior Adviser, Vivid Economics

Tera Allas sought advice on accepting an appointment as a Senior Adviser to Vivid Economics Ltd.

The Committee noted that Mrs Allas, while at BIS, led the Department’s work on industrial strategy. This included a partnership strategy for the professional business service sector which could, in theory, have an impact on consultancies such as Vivid Economics. However, she had not had direct involvement shaping or commenting on the content of sector-specific strategies, nor had she had any contractual dealings with Vivid Economics, any access to commercially sensitive information about competitors, or any involvement in regulatory work that could affect her new employer or its competitors.

The Prime Minister accepted the Committee’s recommendation that the application be approved subject to the following conditions:

• Mrs Allas should not draw on privileged information available to her as a Crown servant;

• for two years from her last day in Crown service, she should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government, Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of any of her employers/clients; and

• for the same period, if her role changes with VE she must seek confirmation directly from the Committee directly that any projects she accepts that are within the policy remit of BIS are permissible under the terms of her appointment before taking them up. If, after enquiry, the Committee takes the view that a project is, or may be, outside the terms of the appointment she will be expected to submit a fresh application.

The letter containing the final decision was sent in July 2014.

5. Commissions under independent consultancy

Tera Allas set up as an independent consultant in April 2014. Since setting up as an independent consultant, she has asked for the Committee’s advice on accepting a number of commissions with:

• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

• Vivid Economics - February 2015

• States of Jersey

• Monitor

• Shareholder Executive - BIS

• OECD Innovation Strategy

• Vivid Economics - April 2015

On each occasion the Committee has agreed that the commissions fall under the terms of her independent consultancy and can be accepted, subject to the conditions imposed on the consultancy.