Nicholas Baird

Nicholas Baird is the former chief Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) who left the Crown Service to take up the role of Corporate Affairs Director at Centrica plc in December 2013.

Acoba advice

Mr Baird sought advice about accepting a full time, paid appointment as Corporate Affairs Director for Centrica plc. Centrica is a British multinational utility company headquartered in Windsor, United Kingdom (UK). Mr Baird will be responsible for Government Affairs, corporate reputation/responsibility sustainability issues and media/communications.

When considering the application, the Committee took into account that he has not had access to commercially sensitive information about any competitors or been involved in the development or administration of any departmental policy or decisions (including the award of grants) that could have affected his prospective employer or its competitors.

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

- For two years from his last day of service he should not become personally involved in lobbying UK Government on behalf of your new employers;

- He should not draw on privileged information available to him as a Crown servant; and

- A waiting period of three months from his last working day at UKTI and his starting date with Centrica plc.

In 2015, Baird sought further advice from ACOBA regarding a part-time, paid appointment as Non-Executive Director for Nord Anglia Education (Hong Kong). The Committee recommended approval for the position, and he took up the role as of May 2015.