Who we are and what we do

This section gives current information about the legislative basis of ECGD’s functions, to whom it is responsible and its internal organisation and contact details. An organogram can be found here.

All ECGD’s operations are governed by the Export Investment Guarantees Act 1991 (“the EIGA”) (as amended by the Industry and Exports (Financial Support) Act 2009), a public general Act of Parliament. ECGD’s object is to enter into contracts of insurance and guarantee and similar instruments for the purposes described in the EIGA.  

ECGD, although a separate Department, shares a Secretary of State and Minister with the Department  for Business, Innovation and Skills. The current Secretary of State is the Right Honourable Lord Mandelson and the Minister currently responsible for ECGD is Lord Davies of Abersoch. Biographical details can be found here.  

ECGD’s Accounting Officer, referred to as the Chief Executive, is currently Patrick Crawford. Brief biographical details can be found here (PDF 16 KB).

The Accounting Officer is supported by the Executive Committee and the Management Board. The Executive Committee is responsible for advising him on the management of ECGD’s business and, advises, amongst other things, upon the allocation of financial and human resource, organisational performance, corporate governance and operational decision making. It meets weekly and typically has between 6 and 10 items on its agenda. Its members are, ex officio, the Business Group Director, the Credit Risk Group Director, the Finance Director, the General Counsel and the Human Resources Director.  

The Management Board is accountable to the Secretary of State. It exercises oversight of the Chief Executive and the Executive Committee, monitors the application of good governance, ensures the strategic goals of ECGD are tested and examined, advises on policies and strategies, assesses and monitors performance and enterprise-wide risk, recommends accounting policies, and considers the Annual Review and Resource Accounts. It meets once a month, typically with a similar number of items on the agenda as the Executive Committee. The Management Board is chaired by the non-executive Chairman, currently Graham Pimlott. The non-executive members of the Management Board are currently David Godfrey, David Harrison, Peter Haslehurst and Katherine Letsinger. The executive members are currently Nigel Addison Smith, Finance Director: Steve Dodgson, Business Group Director: David Havelock, Credit Risk Group Director and Nicholas Ridley, General Counsel. Brief biographical details can be found here (PDF 16 KB).