Lady Sylvia Jay

Lady Sylvia Jay, a former civil servant at the Department for International Development and director general of the Food and Drink Federation.

"Lady Sylvia Jay is Chairman of L’Oréal UK, she is also currently a non-Executive Director of Alcatel Lucent, a non-Executive Director of Lazard Limited, a non-Executive Director of the French company Saint-Gobain, a non-Executive Director of The Body Shop, Chairman of the Pilgrim Trust, a Trustee of The Body Shop Foundation, a Trustee of the Prison Reform Trust, a Trustee of the Entente Cordiale Scholarships Scheme.

"Sylvia joined the Civil Service in 1971, having passed joint first in the civil service examination for fast stream administrators in the Home and Diplomatic services. Her civil service career, until she resigned in 1995, mainly concerned government financial aid to developing countries. She also worked in the Civil Service Selection Board to recruit fast stream administrators and diplomats; the French Ministère de la Cooperation; the French Trésor and was one of a small international team which set up the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. From 1996 to 2000, as wife of the British Ambassador to France, she oversaw the running of the Embassy Residence, entertaining some 12 – 14,000 guests a year. She was Director General of the Food & Drink Federation from January 2001 until August 2005 and a non-Executive Director of the French company Carrefour from 2003 to 2005. "

Governor of the British Nutrition Foundation, and Trustee of the Pilgrim Trust, the Food Foundation UK.

She is married to Michael Hastings Jay.


 * Trustee, Body Shop Foundation
 * Trustee, Prison Reform Trust
 * Director, Groupe Casino

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