Nicholas Baird

Nicholas Baird is the former chief executive of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) who left the Crown Service to take up the full-time role of corporate affairs director at British energy giant Centrica plc in December 2013.

Revolving door

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) considered Baird's proposed role at Centrica, where he was to 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 March 2015 Baird sought further advice from ACOBA regarding a part-time, paid appointment as non-executive director for Nord Anglia Education in Hong Kong. The committee gave its approval and he took up the role in May 2015.