Helene is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and founder and President of Savvitas, the network for women business leaders she established in 2007 (as ‘Pink Shoe’), which has extensive international links and associated partner networks around the world. Savvitas Patrons are The Rt Hon Theresa May MP and Tessa Sanderson CBE; Founding Patron was the late Benazir Bhutto.

A prominent Parliamentary Adviser and House of Lords Chief of Staff, Helene sits on the G7 Strategic Working Group, and advises the W20 Entrepreneurship Board. She established the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Entrepreneurship, chairing its inaugural Advisory Board, is board member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women & Enterprise, and the All- Party Parliamentary Group for Inclusive Entrepreneurship.

Helene devised the highly successful BoardAble programme improving opportunity for women and under-represented groups in public life and on boards; she is an active member of Parliamentary initiatives to encourage more women into politics, and a Parliament Week founding partner.

To support and encourage female entrepreneurship throughout the UK, Helene created MP HERoes, where MPs champion local women business owners, and the Economic Blueprint for Women programme, each delivered in partnership with NatWest.

In 2020 she initiated World Business Women Day and the quarterly WBW Caucus to connect female entrepreneurs and corporate leaders globally, along with the WBW Barometer, an international benchmark for women business leaders.

A non-executive director, investor and regular media commentator, Helene is on the global board of Quantum Leaps, USA; WishKnish Inc., USA and VeeSee Inc., USA; the Advisory Board for the Institute for Creative & Cultural Enterprise (ICCE) at Goldsmiths, London University; and was previously on the Entrepreneurship Board for Innovate UK; a Charter Member of TiE UK; and an Adviser on diversity and inclusion to Hays plc where she established their Inclusion Network.

After an initial career in banking, Helene was founder and an early-stage investor in several technology companies; developed a property portfolio; and founded two award-winning healthy, organic, and sustainable food businesses. She is a Fellow of the RSA and Fellow of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition.

Marc Ortmans, Chair of GEN UK, commented: “We are delighted that Helene is joining the GEN UK Board. Helene brings tremendous expertise, experience and insights into many areas that we are active, in particular, in support of female entrepreneurs.”

Helene Martin Gee commented: “Entrepreneurship offers so many opportunities regardless of background or culture, so I’m delighted to join the brilliant team at GEN UK and contribute to the development of British enterprise. Bringing my own knowledge and that of everyone at Savvitas, both in the UK and internationally. Women entrepreneurs are making great progress in the UK and globally, but there is still much to do, so it will be a key focus of my work with GEN.”