Ann Cairns has been the lead non-executive board member of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) since January 2021. Cairns is executive vice chair of MasterCard – representing the bank around the world and focusing on inclusion, diversity and innovation. She plays the important role of senior ambassador and executive leader and sits as part of the company’s global management committee. Cairns has more than 20 years’ experience working in senior management positions across Europe and the US. Prior to joining Mastercard in 2011, she was head of the Financial Services Group with Alvarez & Marsal, CEO of Transaction Banking at ABN-AMRO and held senior positions at Citigroup. Cairns is currently chair of ICE Clear Europe, owned by the Fortune 500 company Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). She is also global chair of the 30% Club, chair of the Financial Alliance for Women and serves as a member of the UK government’s AI Council and the IBDE advisory board. She is a former non-executive director of AstraZeneca.
