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SOM welcomes Lord Popat as new Patron

Posted by Ann Caluori | Thu, 21/04/2022 - 09:35

 

The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) is delighted to welcome Lord Popat as a Patron of the SOM. Lord Popat joins Lord Blunkett, Dame Carol Black, and Sir Norman Lamb as SOM Patrons.

 

  SOM looks forward to welcoming Lord Popat at the launch of a new book on Art and Occupation at the British Academy this evening.

 

  Lord Popat is a Conservative Peer and was appointed as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda in January 2016 by Prime Minister David Cameron. In September 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson extended Lord Popat’s brief to represent the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

He was made a Peer by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010 for his services to small businesses. His interests in the House of Lords are promoting the Commonwealth, SMEs, increasing Britain’s exports and trade relations with India and Africa. Lord Popat has served five Conservative Prime Ministers: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

 

By background, Lord Popat was born in Uganda and first came to the UK as a refugee in 1971. Having trained as an accountant, Lord Popat later set up his own business specialising in business and corporate finance and had a successful 30 year career in healthcare and hospitality.

 

Lord Popat has always been passionate about healthcare and recently published a report on what more the community and government can do to support a growing, elderly population. The report had a particular focus on ethnic minority communities and has been used by many to help better cater for the needs of elderly people.

 

In Parliament, Lord Popat served as a Minister of the Crown From January 2013 to March 2015 with responsibilities for the Departments of Business, Innovation and Skills, and Transport, as well as a Lord-in-Waiting and a member of Her Majesty’s Household.

 

Lord Popat is one of the Prime Minister’s most active Trade Envoys. Since his appointment, trade with Uganda and Rwanda has increased fivefold, through securing a number of flagship deals. In Uganda, Lord Popat speared the flagship $1.9bn deal with McDermott which is the UK’s largest deal to date with Uganda. Lord Popat is committed to the challenge of increasing trade and investment ties between the UK and Africa and is always promoting the tremendous potential of the African subcontinent.

 

In August 2019, Lord Popat published his memoirs titled “A British Subject” with a Foreword by David Cameron.