Ministers hunt new chief as GREAT marketing campaign boss quits

The authorities is to start the hunt for a brand new boss of its flagship commerce and cultural promotion marketing campaign after the incumbent determined to step down after two years in cost.

Sky News understands that Andy Pike OBE resigned as director of GREAT earlier this month, and can go away the put up in September.

Mr Pike knowledgeable the members of the GREAT marketing campaign’s non-public sector council – chaired by the previous Fortnum & Mason boss Ewan Venters – in a memo wherein he outlined proposals for the position to be open to non-public sector candidates.

He additionally referred to “unprecedented support, including…from the prime minister personally” for the initiative.

Last month, GREAT took the promotion of Britain’s know-how sector to the center of Silicon Valley with a advertising and marketing effort known as ‘Unicorn Kingdom’ – a reference to the variety of UK-based start-ups which have attained a valuation of $1bn or extra.

Mr Pike has had earlier stints answerable for GREAT, and in addition labored in senior communications on the Northern Ireland Office and inside the intelligence companies.

In 2021, he changed Dan Ramsay, who resigned to affix the broadband infrastructure group CityFibre Holdings, on the helm of the GREAT marketing campaign.

His departure will come amid ongoing debate in regards to the effectiveness of Britain’s commerce promotion efforts, with worldwide commerce now having lately been merged with the Department for Business.

Sky News revealed final week that the federal government’s Global Investment Summit would be delayed by a number of weeks from its authentic October scheduling.

Mr Pike couldn’t be reached for remark.