Ben Ainsley

His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa (Acting) | UK Department for Business and Trade

Ben Ainsley is the Acting HM Trade Commissioner for Africa, based in Johannesburg. Working alongside the incoming-HM Trade Commissioner as Deputy Trade Commissioner and teams across the region, he helps drive UK trade and investment across the African continent.

Previously, Ben was Chief Operating Officer for the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAC), based in São Paulo, a role he held for four and a half years. During this time, he led the team that tripled the value of supported UK exports over a three-year period and facilitated significant LATAC investment into the UK.

Ben has also served in Johannesburg as Chief Operating Officer for the Africa region and was previously based in Lagos as Country Director for Nigeria. He began his career in Whitehall in a range of trade and private sector-facing roles, including leading HMG’s response to a steelworks closure.