- Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera
Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera is a UK government minister, and former advisor and
UBS Warburg investment banker. From April 1999 to June 2007 she was an adviser toGordon Brown during his time asChancellor of the Exchequer and a member of the Treasury's Council of Economic Advisers. Brown appointed her asParliamentary Under-Secretary of State in theDepartment for International Development on 29 June 2007. Lady Vadera was appointed Parliamentary under Secretary of State for theDepartment for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform at the January 2008 reshuffle. In October 2008 she also became a Parliamentary Under Secretary in theCabinet Office , in addition to her previous role.Private Sector Career
For over 14 years Vadera was employed at investment bank UBS. She worked in the firm's banking, project finance, sovereign advisory and privatisation teams and, shortly before her move to the Treasury, was responsible for developing its business with the South African Government and the public sector.
Public Sector Career
Vadera has been involved in a number of high-profile public private partnership consultations in Britain, most notably the part-privatisation of the
London Underground .Fact|date=July 2008She was involved with the decision of then Transport Secretary
Stephen Byers to apply to theHigh Court forRailtrack to be placed into Railway Administration on7 October 2001 , and was labelled "The Chancellor's representative on earth" by the Conservatives in a Commons debate surrounding the circumstances of this decision.Fact|date=July 2008She played a key role in a number of high profile development issues, in particular the cancellation of poor country debts agreed by the G8 in 2000 and 2005.Fact|date=July 2008
Following his appointment as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown appointed her as
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in theDepartment for International Development . [http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page12225.asp] As a Minister, she had to go into Parliament, and, lacking a seat in the House of Commons, she was created alife peer on 11 July 2007 as Baroness Vadera. She took her seat in theHouse of Lords that same day.The Sunday Times reported that theCabinet Secretary "flatly refus [ed] to allow her to cross the threshold of No 10 as policy enforcer" and "noPermanent Secretary could stand her" - although the Cabinet Secretary denied making these comments. [Simon Jenkins The Times July 8 2007 [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/simon_jenkins/article2042242.ece Brown’s brain and his hand are not always connected] ] After six months atDFID she was moved to theDepartment for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .References
External links
* [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Gordon_Brown_appoints_Shriti_Vadera_to_key_post/articleshow/2162601.cms Gordon Brown appoints Shriti Vadera to key ministerial post, "The Times of India"]
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