Origins & Aims

The late Sir David Lancaster Nicolson MEP, founded the American European Business Association (AEBA) in 1980 in consultation with the late Lord Roy Jenkins OM, PC, then President of the European Commission.

AEBA promotes and facilitates lively and informed debate on key business, economic and political topics. The association’s goal is to use this dialogue, connection and collaboration to improve and increase understanding and cooperation between the business community and governments in Europe and North America.

AEBA does this by bringing together senior international business, political, diplomatic, and academic representatives to engage in productive conversation through the open exchange of views in an atmosphere of trust, which provides unique insight behind today’s headlines. A key factor in the success of these debates is the diversity of the participants’ backgrounds, industries, and their shared interest in debating future developments. Limiting the number of participants at each discussion promotes a more intimate, meaningful and powerful experience for both members and speakers. Meetings are governed by the Chatham House Rule.

A highlight of the annual program is our Autumn Drinks Reception. Previous events have been held at Winfield House, Canada House and the German and US Embassies.

AEBA is a non-partisan association.

Women Executive Forum (WEF)

The purpose of WEF is to create opportunities that help propel women in their careers by bringing together up and coming and established female executives to engage, meet, network, and become inspired by the professional journey of a top female executive.

WEF is a special discussion series for the AEBA membership.

Suzanne Gordon-Brown, CEO

Suzanne brings extensive international experience in the institutional investment industry to the American European Business Association. She has held senior client-facing and business development roles covering the UK, Europe, North America, and Southern Africa and worked in front-office, back-office, and third-party provider environments, equipping her with an unusually broad and strategic perspective.

A natural connector and innovative thinker, she brings energy, rigour and a collaborative approach to everything she does. She has worked at SPS Conferences, Morgan Stanley (London and New York) and at Gartmore (originally County NatWest) and currently lives in Cornwall with her husband.

Mary Mitchell, Events Director

Mary is the Events Director at the American European Business Association. Her background spans industry, management consulting and the charity sector, having worked for British Steel and Deloitte, as well as a number of not-for-profit organisations. She enjoys working across this breadth of sectors and finding experts in their field to speak to the AEBA membership.

Mary received her BA in Modern Languages (French and Spanish) from Bristol University and her MBA from Warwick University.

Board of Directors

Paul Staples

Chair

Managing Partner,
Smith Square Partners

Paul Staples is Managing Partner at Smith Square Partners, an established independent corporate finance business based in London.

Paul has spent over thirty years advising a wide range of clients, including family offices, within the media and technology sectors across all major geographies. He has held senior management positions in several major investment banks, notably Citigroup and BNP Paribas.

Paul has been on the Board of the AEBA since 2010.

Jenni Hibbert

Deputy Chair

Global Managing Partner, Leadership Insights and Regional Leader, Europe and Africa,
Heidrick & Struggles

Jenni Hibbert is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office and the global managing partner of Leadership Insights, with additional responsibility for the firm’s Europe and Africa business. As well as having regional P&L responsibility, she leads the development of data-driven insights and
perspectives that enable organizations to make better decisions on leadership,
succession, and organizational performance. Jenni has served on the firm’s Management
Committee since 2019.

Jenni works closely with leaders across the firm’s solution areas and corporate functions to strengthen how Heidrick & Struggles brings integrated leadership advice to clients. She is also a visible external voice for the firm, contributing perspectives on leadership, succession, governance, and organizational performance.

Jenni advises boards, CEOs, and senior executives across industries on leadership strategy, executive talent, succession planning, and governance. She has extensive experience working with both executive and non-executive leaders globally and is known for helping clients navigate complex leadership challenges during periods of transformation and growth.

Previously, Jenni led the firm’s global go-to-market strategy for executive search, with responsibility for all global industry and functional practices, strategic accounts, and Frontier Tech, worldwide.
She has served as global managing partner of both the Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice and the Financial Services Practice, two of the firm’s largest and most globally connected businesses.

Before joining Heidrick & Struggles, Jenni was a BBC broadcaster focused on financial and business news. She began her career working on Capitol Hill.

Outside the firm, Jenni previously served as an associate of Newnham College, Cambridge University, and as a board governor of the English-Speaking Union, a global educational charity.

Education
Cambridge University, MPhil in English, Arts & Humanities Research Board Scholarship
Birmingham University, First Class BA Degree, with honors, in English and Drama
Cardiff University, PgDip, with distinction, in Broadcast Journalism.

Jenni joined the Board of the AEBA in 2019 and was appointed Deputy Chair in January 2026.

Claire Faulkner

Hon. Treasurer

Partner, Deloitte

Claire Faulkner is an audit partner at Deloitte.

Claire joined the Board of the AEBA in 2024.

Simon Bax

Director

Partner, Foreign Value Productions

Simon Bax is a Partner in Foreign Value Productions, a film and television production company based in the US and UK. He is also an adviser and investor in a number of early-stage technology and media companies in the US and UK. Over the last ten years he has held a number of Board positions including Executive Chair of Archant, Chair of Captur.ai, Chair of Country & Townhouse, and a non-executive director of Channel 4, SVG and Inmarsat plc.

He has extensive business experience in the US where he was the Founder and CEO of Encompass Digital Media Inc, which became a global market leader in the provision of network origination services for cable channels and television stations.

Prior to that he held a number of senior executive positions in the media industry including Executive Vice President and CFO of Pixar Animation, CFO and President of Studio Operations of Fox Filmed Entertainment and CFO of the global advertising agency, Chiat/Day Inc.

With a background in Finance, operations and strategy, he has recently completed the Artificial Intelligence programme at the Oxford Said Business School.

Simon joined the Board of the AEBA in June 2024.

Adrian Frost

Director

Managing Director, Corporate and Institutional Banking,
BNP Paribas UK

Adrian Frost has 20 year’s experience in Corporate & Investment Banking. As a Senior Managing Director within the Capital Markets business at BNP Paribas Adrian advises large Multi-National Corporates throughout Northern Europe on the structuring and execution of debt capital market transactions.

Adrian has been with BNPP for the past 13 years and prior to that was at ABN AMRO and has led deals across a wide range of industries and geographies.

Adrian lives in Oxfordshire with his family, is graduate of Manchester University and as a keen rugby fan he also does not need any excuse to get outdoors with his children to run, cycle, ski, golf, fish, camp or paddleboard.

Adrian joined the Board of the AEBA in 2017.

 

Fiona Gordon

Director

Global CEO Advertising, Ogilvy

Fiona Gordon is Global CEO of Advertising at Ogilvy UK – a full service leading communications agency.  She recently took on this role and has spent her career at Ogilvy and WPP,  since joining as a graduate trainee.

She has built her career with a client centric focus.  Her most recent role was CEO of Ogilvy UK, prior to which she was Chief Client Officer for Ogilvy for EMEA – looking to help our clients succeed and grow across the region.

Prior to this Fiona led the WPP Walgreens Boots Alliance team based  in London.  She built out the integrated team from 3 to 130  specialists from across WPP working across Boots and Global Consumer Brands.  She was a key part of the team that successfully retained and expanded the business in the recent pitch review.

She has worked at Ogilvy across her career across large global clients, challenger brands and in different geographies.  Fiona was the Group Chairman of the 400 person Ogilvy Singapore office for 5 years and during her tenure they won Creative Network for South East Agency and she was voted as leading CEO for South East Asia.

Fiona has also lived and worked in NY for over five years working across the American Express business and in Hong Kong leading the expansion of Ogilvy’s global clients across Asia, including in China and India.

She sits on the Advisory board of Stella,  WPP Women’s network, and is a mentor within WPP and Ogilvy and has a reverse mentor.  She is passionate about growing talent.

Fiona has just been named on Ad Age’s Leading Women list, recognizing the forces that are leading the change across the industry.

Fiona joined the Board of the AEBA in 2022.

Kathryn Herrington

Director

Chief People Officer, CFC

Kathryn Herrington is Chief People Officer at CFC, the specialist insurance provider, pioneer in emerging risk and market leader in cyber.

Prior to joining CFC, she was Chief People Officer at SUSE, a global leader in innovative, reliable and enterprise-grade open source solution, and formerly Chief Administrative Officer at CLS, the world’s leading provider of multi-lateral netting and FX settlement services for over 70 of the world’s leading financial institutions. She has also held a number of  senior HR roles in a range of global financial institutions.

Kathryn has long-term transatlantic experience and dual nationality. She is currently based in London, having operated out of New York from 2002 to 2018.

She has a degree in Economic and Social History from the University of Bristol.

Kathryn joined the Board of the AEBA in 2020 and served as Deputy Chair from January 2022 to January 2026.

Next Event

AEBA Autumn Drinks Reception

 

Ambassador Warren Stephens
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Host: The US Embassy

Tuesday 15th September, 2026

5.00  – 6.30 pm

Contact

Suzanne Gordon-Brown
CEO

E-mail: sgb@aeba.org.uk

Membership Enquiries: membership@aeba.org.uk
General or Speaker Enquiries: enquiries@aeba.org.uk