Benjamin Story

Background

About Benjamin Story

Senior executive with over 30 years’ experience at the highest levels in the industrial technology, energy, transportation, infrastructure and global finance sectors. Extensive board experience as a NED on listed, private, NFP and public sector organisations. Former Board Advisor and FTSE 20 Exco Member. Chaired Audit/Finance, Investment and Remuneration Committees. Currently on the Board of Vertical Aerospace, a NYSE listed pioneer in electronic aviation, and Reach South Academy Trust, a leading provider of education in the south-west of England. Member of Rolls-Royce’s Exco leading its strategic transformation, a £7bn Covid-19 rescue fundraising and a £2bn mandated disposal programme, and a fundamental restructuring which generated cost savings of £1.3bn. Sponsored the formation of four new businesses (Power Generation, Small Modular Reactors, RR Electrical and R2 Factory). Over 25 years in investment banking, most recently as the Head of UK Investment Banking at Citigroup, advising on over $75bn of M&A deals and over $65bn of capital raisings. Track record of advising businesses through multi-year strategic programmes and fundraisings, including Airbus, British Airways/IAG, Continental, Daimler, DHL Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Lastminute.com, Lufthansa, Rolls-Royce, Ryanair, Siemens and Transport for London. Deep connection with the energy transition/sustainability, commencing with drafting the Global Reporting Initiative's inaugural Sustainable Reporting Guidelines in and most recently as Chief Operating Officer of the world’s leading investor in energy efficiency solutions. Extensive government experience gained from advising on over 20 privatisations around the world, responsibility for Government Relations at Rolls-Royce, role as EU Chair of the EU-Japan Business Round Table for the EU-Japan Trade Deal, and Board Membership at Transport for London. Longstanding grounding in digitalisation/AI, from data analytics and operational research at university through to responsibility for digitalisation and AI at Rolls-Royce. Lived and worked in the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, the PRC and Argentina. Currently building a non-executive portfolio with capacity for additional roles.