Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE

Neil is an experienced leader working across government, business and civil society nationally and internationally.

He joined WIG as CEO in 2023 at a time when the charity’s mission of improving cross-sector leadership and collaboration to boost growth and prosperity across the UK has become ever more important.

Neil is Chair of the WorldSkills Global Research Council, having served eight years as CEO of WorldSkills UK, championing the benefits of international benchmarking to raise standards in apprenticeships and technical education to world-class levels to improve productivity. He is also a Trustee of the think-and-do tank Power to Change, advocating for the role of community business in local socio-economic development.

Neil was previously Deputy Director-General and Chief Operating Officer at the UK business organisation the CBI, working for 12 years at the highest level of the business and government interface nationally and internationally. Prior to that he worked on European employee relations in global IT services and publishing, following completion of his PhD from Cardiff University on race discrimination in the workplace. Neil was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to LGBT diversity and inclusion.