[2] For over 14 years Vadera was employed at investment bank UBS Warburg, where her work included advising governments of developing countries, and debt relief and restructuring.

[4][5] Vadera was on the Council of Economic Advisers at HM Treasury from 1999 to 2007, where she led on policy for business, competition innovation, productivity and international finance and development issues and the management of the Government's shareholdings, asset sales and public private partnerships for infrastructure.

[7] As she was not a member of either of the Houses of Parliament, she was created a life peer on 11 July 2007 as Baroness Vadera, of Holland Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

[9] Following criticism of her working style Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses (also a Merton Labour councillor)[10] said: "If the Civil Service is complaining about her, then probably more ministers should be like her; she gets things done.

[19][20] In 2023, the World Bank's president Ajay Banga appointed Vadera as co-chair – alongside Mark Carney – of the Private Sector Investment Lab.