Laura Carstensen (appointed in 2005) is a senior lawyer with over twenty years experience of EU and UK competition law practice including as a partner in the City law firm Slaughter and May (1994 - 2004). She is owner and director of two online mail order businesses - Blue Banyan Ltd (products for meditation, yoga and other mind/body/spirit practices) and Hortica (garden products).   She is a non-executive board member of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (Cabinet Office). Ms Carstensen is also a self-employed consultant on strategy & business development to the Antitrust group of the law firm Linklaters.