Vanessa Lawrence

In June 2015, Lawrence sought the advice of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) on setting up an independent consultant agency, 'to provide strategic advice on how to optimise information assets in the global digital arena'. The committee approved the request on condition that she should not become personally involved in lobbying government for up to two years after her last day of service, that she should not undertake work which involves providing advice to an organisation relating directly to Ordnance Survey, and that she make a case directly to the Committee before accepting any new commission. Lawrence took up the first of her commissions in September 2015.

Her consultancy has accepted commissions with:

• Satellite Applications Catapult; National Geospatial Information Committee, Saudi Arabia (September 2015)
• World Bank Group (October 2015)
• Australian government; Third Bridge (October 2016).