Decision

Summary of business appointments applications - Vanessa Lawrence

Updated 7 December 2016

Dr Vanessa Lawrence left her role as Head of Ordnance Survey International in December 2014.

1. Independent Consultant

Dr Lawrence sought advice on setting up as an independent consultant, to provide strategic advice on how to optimise information assets in the global digital arena.

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

• for two years from her last day of service, she should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of any of her clients or those she advises;

• she should not draw on privileged information available to her from her time in Crown service;

• for 12 months from her last day of service she should not undertake any work as a consultant which involves providing advice to any company or organisation on the terms of a bid or contract relating directly to the work of Ordnance Survey or any subsidiary of Ordnance Survey; and

• for two years from her last day of service, before accepting any new commission she should make a case directly to the Committee to confirm that each individual commission she wishes to undertake would be permissible under the approved terms of the consultancy. (If, after enquiry, the Committee takes the view that a commission is, or may be, outside the terms of the consultancy she will be expected to submit a fresh application).

The letter containing the final advice was sent in June 2015 and Dr Lawrence took up the first of her commissions in September 2015.

Under her independent consultancy she has accepted commissions with:

• Satellite Applications Catapult (September 2015)
• National Geospatial Information Committee, Saudi Arabia (September 2015)
• World Bank Group (October 2015)
• Australian Government (September 2016)
• Third Bridge (October 2016)
• Pool Reinsurance Company Ltd (November 2016)