Dame Anita Margaret Frew is a Scottish businesswoman and Chairman of

Croda Croda International plc is a British speciality chemicals company based at Snaith, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange. History The company was founded by George William Crowe and Henry James Dawe in 1925. Crowe bought an abando ...

and the first female chair of Rolls-Royce.

Early life

Frew graduated from University of Strathclyde. She also earned a master of research in Philosophy from the University of London.

Career

On graduation she joined

Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Bank ...

, before moving to

Scottish Provident The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited, along with its subsidiaries, is the largest mutual insurer in the United Kingdom, with Group funds under management of over £150 billion. Group businesses provide around nine million policie ...

where she served as Head of UK Investment. Frew then became Director of Corporate Development at WPP plc. She also founded an investor relations consultancy, Frew McMaster. She progressed to become a non-executive director of various commercial organisations including WPP plc and

Northumbrian Water Northumbrian Water Limited is a water company in the United Kingdom, providing mains water and sewerage services in the English counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and parts of North Yorkshire, and also supplying water as Es ...

as well as Non-Executive Chairman of Victrex and

pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...

non-executive director roles in various artistic organisations, including the Donmar Warehouse and the Gate Theatre. Frew was appointed

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(DBE) in the

2023 New Year Honours The 2023 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...

for services to business and the economy.

Directorships

Frew is a non-executive director of: Lloyds Banking Group; Aberdeen Asset Management; Ansbacher Holdings; Securities Trust of Scotland;

;

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO (AMV BBDO) is an advertising agency that works with over 85 brands, including BT, Diageo, Walkers, and Mars. AMV campaigns may incorporate digital, social, experiential, print or broadcast media. AMV is part of the ...

; STOS plc; The City of London Investment Trust Plc; Archant; and NXT Plc. Frew is the first female chair of Rolls-Royce and an honorary graduate of the University of Aberdeen.

References

Living people Alumni of the University of Strathclyde Scottish chairpersons of corporations British corporate directors 1957 births Croda International people Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire {{Scotland-business-bio-stub