Emma Thomas is the Co-Head of Global Business Origination for UK Export Finance, the UK’s Export Credit Agency and a ministerial government department. She is responsible for new business development across the Americas, Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia and manages the department’s international network located in British Embassies and High Commissions in thirteen locations across these geographies.
Previously, Emma held the position of Head of Corporate Strategy and Impact. Her responsibilities range from overseeing strategic risk, fiscal events, and the annual planning cycle, to pioneering a new approach to better understand, evaluate and communicate the impact of UKEF’s support across economic, environmental and social outcomes. Before joining UKEF, Emma worked for the Department for International Trade where she played a leading role shaping the Government’s policy to end support for fossil fuel projects – she has also held policy roles at BEIS and the Ministry of Justice. Prior to joining the UK Government, Emma worked for a development consultancy focused on fragile and conflict-affected states where she managed the delivery of a programme in Somalia on behalf of the British Embassy. She also spent a short period living and working in Laos for an iNGO.
Emma has a MSc in Violence, Conflict & Development from SOAS, where she wrote her thesis on service delivery and state legitimacy in Somalia, and a BA in Art History & Spanish from UCL. She is passionate about tackling society’s most complex challenges and empowering others to deliver positive change that has real-world impact.