Nathaniel McVeagh

I am a strategic and internationally experienced Civil Servant with a strong record of leading high-impact government initiatives across trade, policy, and regulatory reform. I bring proven leadership in managing cross-functional teams and delivering results in complex, high-stakes environments. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, I excel at building diplomatic relationships and translating complex policy and regulatory issues into actionable insights for senior decision-makers, government ministers and the public. I am passionate about driving change through evidence-based policy and collaborative advocacy.

With almost 7 years of experience in the Civil Service, I have held a range of roles across multiple government departments, gaining broad experience in international trade, policy development, stakeholder engagement, and programme delivery. Currently Deputy Head of Bilateral Relations for the Gulf and Middle East at the Department for Business and Trade, I lead UK trade and investment efforts across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon—managing diplomatic relationships, supporting inward investment, and advising ministers on strategic market access issues. Previously, I played a key role in the Windsor Framework negotiations with the EU at HMRC, led policy development for Professional Business Services trade negotiations at DIT, and managed government-business relations in Scotland at BEIS. Earlier roles included delivering electronic monitoring reforms at the Ministry of Justice and representing the UK on EU structural funding matters in Brussels during the Brexit transition.

University of Southampton | Sept 2015 - Jul 2018 | BSc International Relations