Anna Shotbolt took charge as the new British Deputy High Commissioner on Thursday, succeeding Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford.
Anna, who is also the Deputy Trade Commissioner Investment for South Asia, will head the office that represents the United Kingdom in Karnataka and Kerala. "The double-hatted role reflects the growing importance of Bengaluru and South India in UK-India ties, especially in trade and investment," a statement from the Deputy High Commission said.
As the Head of the British Deputy High Commission in Bengaluru, Anna’s role will include strengthening partnerships with the government, promoting business and trade and bolstering people-to-people relationships between Karnataka, Kerala and the UK.
Prior to her appointment, Anna was Deputy Director of the Export Support Service in the Department of International Trade where she set up a new tailored service for businesses selling their goods and services overseas. She had worked in the Cabinet Office on the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. She also worked in China as First Secretary based in Beijing working on trade and investment in the education and infrastructure sectors.
“There is no better time to represent the UK in Bengaluru than now. The UK-India relationship is strong and I want to put Karnataka and Kerala at the heart of this partnership. My priority will be to build relationships and collaboration across government, industry and civil society to grow this relationship even further,” Anna said.
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