Karen Betts
Karen Betts is the Chief Executive of the Food & Drink Federation, the trade association that represents the UK’s food and soft drink manufacturing industry. Prior to this, from 2017 to 2021, she was the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, representing the Scotch Whisky sector in the UK and in export markets worldwide. Before this, Karen worked in government, in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and in the Cabinet Office. She held a variety of posts in London, Brussels, Washington, the Middle East and North Africa. Before joining government, Karen was a lawyer, working in London and Hong Kong. She was an Adviser to the UK Government’s Board of Trade from 2019 to 2024 and received an OBE in 2022 for services to international trade. Karen is a Trustee of FareShare, a food redistribution charity.