Who’s on Board

In March 2026 the Office of the Small Business Commissioner recruited two new board advisors to join the existing and excellent Dr Yvonne Gale who has advised the Office for more than seven years. This post introduces the Board, the benefits it delivers, and early notice of new advisors we will be recruiting.

Meet the Advisors

The Advisory Board of the Office of Small Business Commissioner is made up of three people who each bring different skills to the table.

• Dr Yvonne Gale – a finance and governance expert, Yvonne has been on the board since 2019 and also chairs the Audit & Risk Committee, applying a background as a CEO and in audit to ensure the Office manages its money and risk in proper fashion.
• Ryan Shorthouse – as founder and now Chair of think tank Bright Blue, Ryan is a highly effective campaigner and communicator. At board meetings Ryan can be found holding us to account when it comes to ensuring the business community knows about the work of the Office and is prepared for introduction of new laws.
• Abigail Whittaker – a digital operator, Abi is Chief of Staff at Funding Circle and has supported the team at the Office to consider ways in which we can improve digital journeys for customers ie small businesses contacting the casework team requesting help with late invoices and those applying to be on Fair Payment Code. Due to the advice and guidance, online journey times have been shortened to reduce friction and get our support (and therefore money) moving faster!

Together, the board constitutes a solid sounding board for me and the team, offering unique and differing perspectives.

Board Benefits

The Office is required to have a Board to operate but, just like small businesses with a similar structure, benefits greatly from it in the form of; accessing advice from experienced professionals, and the accountability of reporting to a board each quarter on performance against metrics, as well as raising points for discussion and debate.

It is with these benefits in mind that the Office will be going out to recruitment in 2027 for new board advisors, to join the existing team, and with a particular focus on looking for people with legal skills and corporate finance and governance knowledge. The Office will be readying for new laws coming into effect and wants figures round the table who can support with this evolution and growth.

If this could be you, stay tuned and we will announce recruitment when it opens.

Emma