Meet the TeamOur Advisers

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  Dr Tim Hames

  Tim Hames has had an extensive career, working in journalism, politics and finance, including roles as Director General of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital (BVCA) and Assistant Editor of The Times newspaper. He is a senior adviser to private equity and venture capital companies. He also specialises in advising start-up companies. As an Assistant Editor, chief leader writer and a weekly columnist at The Times, Tim edited a major daily newspaper making decisions over coverage such as the September 11 attacks and the global financial crisis.

  As Director General of the BVCA, he represented over 700 companies in the private equity and venture capital sectors and led the industry’s response to policy changes, including a renegotiation of taxation terms in the UK. Tim has lectured in Politics at Oxford University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Travel and Tourism, an industry with which he is also very familiar. He is the author of Trump II: Why He Won. What It Means For The World (January 2025) and War or Peace? The United States and China, 2026 to 2049 (October 2026).

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  Eileen McGowan

  Eileen McGowan is Managing Partner of Acuti Associates, which provides geopolitical intelligence and strategic advice to governments, institutions and corporates, and works directly with clients at the highest levels, from the first conversation through to decisions taken and actions delivered.

  Eileen has more than two decades across politics, business, and leadership, and has been a senior adviser to politicians in Westminster and in the European institutions. Her approach is direct, discreet, and practical: fewer frameworks, more decisions taken and actions delivered.

  Eileen is also the Founder of Glendarvon Advisory, through which she acts as a confidential adviser and Chief of Staff to founders and chief executives at pivotal moments in their businesses.

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  Neil Sherlock CBE

  Neil Sherlock has 30 years' experience as a corporate affairs and political adviser, including as a partner at KPMG and PwC. He was a non-executive Chair of Echo Research, which runs the annual survey of Britain's most admired companies. A special adviser during the Coalition Government, he gave counsel on business issues to the Deputy Prime Minister. Neil acted as Co-Chair of the French Chamber of Commerce Brexit Forum and was a Board Member of London First.

  In other public roles, he sat on the Centre for Justice Commission, was a member of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Board and served as member of reviews into social mobility and Big Society Capital. He was a Trustee of the National Literary Trust and on the Advisory Board of New Philanthropy Capital. Previously, he chaired Working Families, was a Trustee of Demos, and on the Board Member of the Institute for Government. Neil graduated with a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University where was elected President of the Oxford Union defeating Boris Johnson. He was awarded a CBE for political and public service in 2015.

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  Ian Wright CBE

  Ian Wright is a founding partner of Acuti Associates, specialising in advising on geopolitical risk. Ian has three decades of working at Board level at the intersection of business and politics. He was an Executive Committee member at Diageo plc, Chief Executive of the UK Food & Drink Federation and subsequently chaired both the UK Food & Drink Sector Council and the UK Food & Drink Export Council.

  Today he advises global and national leaders in financial services, construction and food and drink. He also chairs a consumer technology company and has held several other NED roles. He has led Cabinet Office external reviews of HM Defence Equipment & Supply, Porton Down Research Establishment and the Government Communications Service. He is a frequent broadcaster and has a regular column in The Grocer magazine. He was awarded a CBE for political and public service in 2015.