Accountants feature prominently in the newly announced membership of the new Financial Services, Trade and Investment Board (FSTIB), which will lead the government's drive to promote external trade, attract inward investment and lift market access barriers for the UK's financial services sector.

Details of the FSTIB were set out in Budget 2013. It will be chaired by Charles Roxburgh, director general of financial services at the Treasury and include senior representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) as well as TheCityUK.

There will also be five independent external members who will be acting within a personal capacity, on a pro bono basis, providing advice and expertise.They include former Deloitte chairman Martin Scicluna, who is now chairman of RSA; ex-KPMG partner Douglas Flint, currently chairman of HSBC; and ICAS member Martin Gilbert, who is CEO of Aberdeen Asset Management.

They are joined by Ana Botin, CEO Santander UK and Xavier Rolet, CEO London Stock Exchange Group, while Dame Amelia Fawcett, currently a non-executive director for the Treasury, has agreed to act as the non-executive director for the FSTIB.

The FSTIB will meet every quarter, identify trade and investment priorities within financial services and provide senior level steers and directions for joined up government and industry actions. Its first meeting will be on 8 October 2013, and it will be reporting directly to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Martin Scicluna, Chairman of RSA said: 'The Financial Services Trade and Investment Board has a unique role to play in supporting British businesses in identifying and taking advantage of trade and investment opportunities and driving the economy back to growth and recovery.'