Advisory Board Members & Executives
Advisory Board Chairman
Michael Schaefer
35 years in the German Foreign Service, including postings at the UN in New York and Geneva, and in Singapore, and five years as Political Director in Berlin. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (2007−2013), Chairman, BMW Foundation (2014–2020). Honorary professor at the China University of Political Science and Law; member Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance. Member advisory board, Alliance4Europe, steering group, Club of Three.
Executive Chairman
Michael Maclay
Former diplomat, journalist and television producer, later special adviser to Foreign Secretary and to international High Representative, Bosnia. Chairman, Franco-German-UK Club of Three, Advisory Board member, LSE IDEAS think tank. Former Advisory Board Chairman, British American Project (2012−20). Ambassador, Young Citizens.
Chief Operating Officer
Tom Rhodes
Former New York Bureau Chief of The Sunday Times and Washington Correspondent for The Times. Latterly senior executive of one of UK’s leading strategic intelligence companies and Managing Director International of New York technology company, Exceed. Director, Montrose Associates.
Senior Executive
Ben Welch
Formerly at the World Bank in Washington, DC and Ankara; before that executive at a leading London-based strategic and campaign consultancy. Experience in communications and emerging markets finance. Graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, Cambridge University and Johns Hopkins SAIS.
Senior Adviser, Geopolitics
Bill Emmott
Chair, International Institute for Strategic Studies, and Japan Society, London. Former Editor-in-Chief, The Economist. Visiting fellow, University of Tokyo. Author of numerous books, including The Fate of the West: The battle to save the world’s most successful political idea’, and Rivals: How the power struggle between China, India and Japan will shape our next decade. In 2024 will publish Deterrence, Diplomacy and the Risk of Conflict over Taiwan (IISS/Fusosha).
Advisory Board Members
Edmond Alphandéry
Founder and chairman of the Euro50 Group. Former Board member, GDF Suez, and President of its Strategic Committee. Also Senior Advisor, Nomura Securities and sits on the Consultative Committee of A.T. Kearney, France. A former Minister of Economy of France (1993−1995). Chairman of CNP Assurances 1998–2012. Also former Chairman, Eléctricité de France (EDF).and former President of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
James Arbuthnot, Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom
Chairman, Electricity Resilience Ltd, Chairman, UK Advisory Panel, Thales. Member of the Post Office Horizon Compensation Advisory Board and that of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. Conservative Member of Parliament, 1987–2015, Defence Minister 1994–97, and Chairman, House of Commons Select Committee on Defence, 2005–14.
Michael Bottenheim
Trustee, Airey Neave Trust. Formerly Director, UPM-Kymmene; Managing Director, Lazard Brothers; former Senior Adviser, Lincoln International. Executive Director of Citicorp, and member of the Supervisory Board of Abemy BV. Non-Executive Director, Montrose Associates.
Dame Vivienne Cox
Chair, Victrex. Director, Haleon, Venterra. Chair of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, Vice Chair, Saïd Business School, Oxford. Former Chair, Vallourec and Senior Independent Director, Pearson. Former Director, Rio Tinto, BG. Worked for BP plc for 28 years, latterly as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive of BP’s Gas, Power & Renewables businesses.
Casper von Koskull
Chairman, Oy Karl Fazer Ab, European Business Leaders’ Convention (EBLC), Board Member, Stena AB, Ahlstrom Capital Oy and Board Member Citigroup Inc. Formerly President and CEO, Nordea Bank; held key positions at UBS London, Citibank Frankfurt and Citibank New York.
Klaus-Dieter Maubach
Non-executive director, TAQA Group, Senior Adviser, Energy Impact Partners, Advisory Board Chairman, AH-Gruppe. Former Chairman and CEO of Uniper, former CEO, E.On Energie AG and member Management Board member, E.ON SE. Also former Supervisory Board member, ABB Deutschland.
Chairman Emeritus
David Simon, Lord Simon of Highbury
Former CEO and Chairman of BP. Governor, Institute for Government. Formerly Senior Advisor to MWM, Deputy Chairman of Unilever, Deputy Chairman Cambridge University Council and British Government Minister for Trade and Competitiveness (1997−1999).