Karen Betts OBE

Karen Betts joined the Food and Drink Federation as Chief Executive in December 2021, where she represents the UK’s food and soft drink manufacturing industry across the range of its interests, from technology adoption to trade, healthier diets, skills, net zero and food safety.  Prior to this, Karen was the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, where she steered the UK’s largest food and drink export industry through the UK’s departure from the EU, a trade war with the US which targeted Scotch Whisky with import tariffs, and the COVID-19 crisis and its recovery.  She led the industry’s engagement in the UK’s new, independent trade policy, strengthening trading relationships globally to the benefit of Scotch Whisky exports, alongside overseeing a review of the industry’s environmental policies and sustainability targets and the adoption of an industry-wide Diversity & Inclusion Charter.

Prior to joining the SWA, Karen was a diplomat in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for 16 years, where she held a variety of posts in London and overseas. Latterly, she was British Ambassador to Morocco and non-resident Ambassador to Mauritania. Prior to that, Karen was Counsellor to the British Embassy in Washington and held roles at the UK's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and the British Embassy in Baghdad.  In London, she served in the Cabinet Office and on the staff of the Joint Intelligence Committee, as well as in several roles in the Foreign Office. Before joining the FCO, Karen was a lawyer at Clifford Chance, working in London and Hong Kong. She studied law at the College of Law in Guildford and history at St Andrews University. Karen was an Adviser to the UK Government’s Board of Trade from 2019 to 2024 and is a Trustee of Felix, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity.  She received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2022 for her services to international trade.