Toby is the former Director of Communication and Marketing at the UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT), established after the EU referendum in 2016 to deliver the UK’s independent trade policy.

During his four years at the DIT, he designed and built the department’s communication team, tasked with communicating the UK government’s new trade agenda at home and operating globally as the UK’s trade promotion agency. Alongside advising Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, he was responsible for multiple global trade and investment campaigns, including the GREAT Britain campaign, active in 145 countries around the world.

While in Government, Toby also chaired the Cabinet Office Finance and Performance Committee, overseeing the Government’s COVID-19 communications activities.

He was previously a Senior Partner at Portland, where he founded the company’s international team. While at Portland he led international campaigns for governments, UN agencies, philanthropic ventures and high-profile individuals including Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Jimmy Carter and Mo Ibrahim.

Earlier in his career he co-founded Africa Practice, a specialist investment and development communications consultancy and worked for Weber Shandwick’s International Government practice.

Toby graduated from Edinburgh University with a Masters degree in History.