Kitty Ussher

Kitty Ussher is a UK economist and former Treasury minister who translates complex economic policy into strategic insight for business leaders. As Managing Director at Barclays, she leads policy development and has published over thirty pieces of thought leadership commended by parliamentarians and government, whilst her regular contributions to BBC Today, Newsnight, and The Times Shadow Monetary Policy Committee position her at the heart of economic debate. Having served as City minister during the financial crisis and previously as Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors, she equips audiences with practical frameworks to navigate policy shifts, anticipate regulatory changes, and align strategic planning with the evolving UK macroeconomic landscape.

During the 2008 financial crisis, Kitty Ussher stood at the centre of government's emergency response as City minister in the Treasury, witnessing how policy, politics and economic pressure collide when markets fracture. That formative experience as MP for Burnley and former government special adviser to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry shaped her understanding of how the machinery of government operates under extreme conditions, and how business leaders must navigate the intersection of regulatory change, macroeconomic shifts and political decision-making. Her career has since evolved into a distinctive blend of public service, economic analysis and strategic advisory work, positioning her as one of the UK's most insightful voices on the relationship between policy development and commercial outcomes.

In 2023, Barclays recruited Kitty at Managing Director level to build an internal think tank focused on economic and financial services policy, where she has published over thirty pieces of thought leadership commended by parliamentarians and government. Her research into UK business investment, particularly the untapped potential of SMEs to unlock £60 billion in annual investment if they matched the deployment rates of larger companies, has informed national conversations about growth strategy and capital allocation. As Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors before joining Barclays, she provided macroeconomic insight to 20,000 business leaders navigating trade frictions, skills shortages and regulatory uncertainty. Her non-executive career includes Revolut UK, where she helped establish the board and team that secured the company's UK banking licence, and London CIV, the £34 billion asset manager for local authority pension schemes, where as chair of nominations she led the recruitment of a new executive team. A regular contributor to BBC Today Programme, Newsnight and The Times Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, she translates complex economic policy into accessible analysis that shapes public debate. Elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2023, her academic credentials include degrees in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Balliol College, Oxford, and an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck College London.

Kitty equips business audiences with the frameworks they need to anticipate regulatory shifts, interpret Budget announcements and align strategic planning with the evolving macroeconomic landscape. Her presentations demystify the interplay between government policy and commercial decision-making, offering leaders practical tools to assess risk, identify opportunity and respond to change with confidence. Whether analysing interest rate impacts on corporate margins, explaining how regulatory mandates affect growth priorities or forecasting the implications of geopolitical volatility for UK financial services, she delivers insight grounded in real-world experience of both policy formation and business execution. Audiences leave with a clearer understanding of the economic forces shaping their operating environment and actionable strategies to turn policy complexity into competitive advantage.