Executives & Senior Advisors

Executive Chairman

Michael Maclay

Former diplomat, journalist and television producer, later special adviser to British 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 Executive

Ewan Duncan

Former UK Brigadier and Head of UK Army Intelligence. 30 years’ service with extensive operational experience. Senior roles in British American Tobacco and Associated British Ports. Recent experience includes UK Government Advisor in Africa; Senior Advisor to a Gulf Region Ministry of Defence.

Senior Adviser, Geopolitics

Bill Emmott

Writer and Commentator. Former Editor-in-Chief, The Economist. Visiting fellow, University of Tokyo. NED of the Irish Times. Chair, International Institute for Strategic Studies from 2010 to 2025, and Japan Society, London from 2018 to 2024. Author of numerous books, including Rivals: How the power struggle between China, India and Japan will shape our next decade; and Deterrence, Diplomacy and the Risk of Conflict over Taiwan.

Senior Adviser, Japan

Steven Thomas

Investment banker for almost 30 years, firstly with Schroders, latterly as Head of Japan M&A for UBS. Some 40 years experience of living/​working in Japan, fluent in Japanese. Responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with Montrose’s extensive Japanese client base. Japan and Korea consultant for St Andrews Links Trust. Graduate of Merton College, Oxford University.