Board Advisers
This page introduces our Board Advisers who support the Small Business Commissioner and her team in delivery of our statutory responsibilities. Their primary role is to provide expert advice on specific issues and offer constructive challenge and oversight on governance and operations.
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Abigail Whittaker, Communications
With a distinguished background in communications, Abigail joined as a Board Advisor to the Small Business Commissioner in March 2026.
Abigail is a key member of Funding Circle’s leadership team as Chief of Staff, where she is responsible for communications and corporate affairs across their core audiences.
Previously Abigail was Chief of Staff at Vanquis Banking Group, Head of External Communications at Metro Bank and ran the Chief Executive’s office at TSB.
Dr Yvonne Gale, Governance
Yvonne is the longest serving member of the Small Business Commissioner’s Advisory Board. Following a career in financially managing a number of high growth businesses, Yvonne has served as a board director for both NEL Fund Managers and a number of its investee companies, focusing on their strategy, delivery and appropriate resourcing, and served as the firm’s Chief Executive until 2023. With a deep knowledge on the role strong finance can play in enabling business growth, she now has a number of governance and advisory roles including credit advisory for Creative UK, audit and risk governance for Innovate UK Loans and chairing ethical lender Shared Interest.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW), holds both a Masters and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Northumbria University, and also holds the Institute of Directors’ Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction, for which she studied at Durham University. Yvonne is on the Board of the North East Chamber of Commerce.
Ryan Shorthouse, Policy
Ryan joined as a Board Advisor in March 2026 bringing extensive experience in UK policy.
He is the Founder and Executive Chair of the independent think tank Bright Blue.
Ryan was appointed a Commissioner of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Bath. He is also Deputy Chair of the What Works Centre, Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and was previously a trustee for the Early Intervention Foundation (2017-2023), Young Women’s Trust (2014-2019) and the Daycare Trust (2010-2015).