Our team

Dame Ruth Cairnie is the Chair of Babcock International Group plc and the Senior Independent Director at BT Group plc. She is Patron of the Women in Defence Charter, a trustee of Windsor Leadership and of the White Ensign Association. She is a supporting Chair at Chapter Zero.

Ruth’s previous roles include Senior Independent Director at Associated British Foods plc, Non-Executive Director at Rolls-Royce Holdings, Contour Global plc and Keller Group plc, member of the Finance Committee at Cambridge University and Chair of the POWERful Women initiative.

Ruth has a wealth of experience gained from a 37-year international career at Royal Dutch Shell holding senior functional and line roles, including having responsibility for group strategy and planning.

Ruth holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Science (Joint Honours) in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Bristol.