Former Darktrace CEO and the UK Government’s Minister for Investment, Baroness Poppy Gustafsson CBE, has secured a new position.
Gustafsson left her role as UK Investment Minister last September after less than a year in post.
Now she’s been appointed trustee of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), which is the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank.
Gustafsson, whose LinkedIn profile reads ‘enjoying doing less for a bit, said: “Whilst I am still very much enjoying not working full time, I have started to have a few conversations with friends about what I will do next. Some of the strongest advice is to ‘do what interests you’.
“It is for that reason that I am delighted to join RUSI as one of their trustees.
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“As geopolitics and emerging technologies continue to reshape defence and security, the sector is evolving rapidly.
“It’s a privilege to learn from the talented team at RUSI, and I’m looking forward to working with them.
“It is a fascinating time to be involved in the worlds of defence and security and I particularly want to help advance a constructive dialogue on the challenges and opportunities posed by emerging digital threats.”
As CEO of the global cybersecurity firm Darktrace, Gustafsson helped build from startup to international scale, including a London Stock Exchange listing and multi-billion-pound acquisition.
Under her leadership, Darktrace won numerous industry accolades. She was also named Tech Businesswoman of the Year and Vodafone’s Woman of the Year for Technology and Innovation and appointed to the Order of the British Empire for services to cyber security, later being promoted to Commander (CBE).
In October 2024, she was appointed Minister of State for Investment jointly within HM Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade, bringing her deep private-sector experience to government to help strengthen the UK’s global investment appeal.
She was created a life peer in the House of Lords as Baroness Gustafsson of Chesterton, where she continues to contribute to national policy discussions on innovation, digital security and economic growth.
RUSI Director General Rachel Ellehuus added: “We are thrilled to welcome Poppy to our board of trustees.
“Her experience in founding and scaling her own business, coupled with her expertise on high-growth technologies and the role of government policy in supporting them, will be major assets to RUSI.
“We are growing our work across the intertwined areas of technology and security and Poppy’s expertise will be invaluable in doing so.”
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