
Global challenges are focusing the minds of leaders across the world: tackling climate change, delivering a successful energy transition, navigating rising trade tensions and AI’s potential (positive and negative) for drastic change.
How can UK business and government chart a course through these challenges and improve our economic fortunes? Is growth the solution, and if so, where does it come from?
Economist and Chief Executive of the Confederation of British Industry Rain Newton Smith works with business and government to answer these questions. In this evening’s event she will reflect on the qualities decision makers need to weather the unpredictable economic storms ahead and on her own leadership experience representing the business community in the UK.
This is the second talk in a new termly series of discussions with industry leaders and policymakers, run jointly by the Oxford Martin School and the Saïd Business School.
The talk will be followed by a drinks reception.
REGISTRATION
- To attend in-person or online, please register here: Distinguished Speaker Seminar with Oxford Martin School Registration, Wed 5 Feb 2025 at 18:00 | Eventbrite
If you have any questions about registration, please contact oxfordsaid.events@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Rain Newton-Smith
Chief Executive, Confederation of British Industry
Rain Newton-Smith is the CBI’s Chief Executive. Before taking up the role, she was Managing Director, Strategy and Policy, Sustainability and ESG at Barclays. She is also a Policy Fellow with the Department of Economics at the University of Oxford.
From August 2014 until March 2023, Rain was Chief Economist at the CBI where she led its economic policy, analysis and survey teams and the CBI’s work with HM Treasury. She also led the international team, focused on global business leadership around the B7 and B20, and championed the CBI’s work to support the transition to a low carbon, sustainable economy. Rain was instrumental in shaping the CBI’s work to help business navigate through the Covid pandemic.
Prior to joining the economics team at the CBI, Rain was Head of Emerging Markets at Oxford Economics, where she was the lead expert on China.
Rain’s earlier career included nine years at the Bank of England, where her responsibilities included preparing global forecasts for the Monetary Policy Committee. During her time at the Bank, Rain was seconded to the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC.
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