Joanne Milner
Following a law degree and a post-graduate degree in Law, Joanne joined the global accountancy firm Arthur Andersen. She specialised in corporate finance, advising on company sales, acquisitions and flotations. During her time at Arthur Andersen she also spent several months in Brunei working on a forensic accountancy project for the sultan. Joanne then joined Royal Bank of Scotland Leveraged Finance before moving into private equity with Lloyds Development Capital.
As an investment director in private equity, Joanne had the privileged opportunity to work with management teams across many different industries and countries, sitting on boards and gaining insights into business success and business challenges before making the move to running a business herself. She invested in and was appointed chief executive of Debrett’s just over two years ago. Debrett’s is an iconic British brand with a fantastic 250-year heritage and Joanne is responsible for positioning its contemporary interpretation in the UK while also leading its global expansion.
Joanne is from Yorkshire and was educated through the comprehensive school system. She is incredibly proud of her roots and passionate about ensuring every student, regardless of background, is given the opportunity to compete on a level playing field with their contemporaries when entering the world of work. This is why she decided to establish the Debrett’s Foundation.
