Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar

Ajay Kakkar was born in 1964 in Dartford, to professor of vascular surgery Vijay Kakkar and his wife, a consultant anaesthetist.[1]

He was educated at Alleyn's School before gaining admission to King's College London, where he gained at first a bachelor's degree in pharmacology in 1985 and then a medical degree in 1988. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate from Imperial College London in 1988.

Son of Professor of vascular surgery Vijay Kakkar, pioneer in the use of low-molecular weight heparin therapy,[2] he followed in his footsteps as a surgeon and medical researcher.

Kakkar is Chair of UCLPartners, the Academic Health Science Partnership, Director of the Thrombosis Research Institute,[3] London, and lectures and publishes widely on his specialism. He has worked with the NHS on its strategy to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE).

He is a Commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, chair of the Board of Governors at Alleyn's School,[4] Dulwich, and a Trustee of the Dulwich Estate.

Kakkar was created a life peer on 22 March 2010 as Baron Kakkar, of Loxbeare in the County of Devon,[5] and introduced in the House of Lords the same day.[6] He sits on the crossbenches.

He was Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission from 2013 to 2018.[7][8][9]

Kakkar has been noted for his work promoting British business as an ambassador for the United Kingdom. He has taken 11 trips in 2014 to promote business relations.[10]