We are delighted to announce the appointment of James Purnell
@jimpurnell
as our new Flint CEO, joining us on 1 Oct. His wide experience and leadership will help us further strengthen and grow our service to clients around the world. Full announcement:
We’re delighted Giles Wilkes
@Gilesyb
is joining
@FlintGlobal
today as a Specialist Partner. He brings deep experience and insight from his time in No10, BEIS, the FT and industry particularly in finance, economics & industrial strategy.
A warm welcome to
@BobbyMcDonagh1
who has joined
@FlintGlobal
as a Senior Adviser. Bringing great wisdom and experience on Irish policy and politics, Europe, diplomacy and the Brussels institutions (1)
Managing Partner
@SimonFraser00
quoted in the
@nytimes
on
#Brexit
saying, “Theresa May has said she is looking for new ideas, but doing so 50 days before the deadline when you have had almost 1,000 days to negotiate is not credible”.
Read here:
We are proud to announce our support for
@UKPatchwork
2020 Masterclass programme. We look forward to helping Patchworkers gain the skills and confidence to get engaged and pursue careers in government, business and civil society
#democracy
#ukpolitics
#patchworkfoundation
We are delighted to welcome Sir Julian King who joins Flint as a Senior Advisor in London and will advise clients on policy and regulatory issues. Julian was the UK’s EU Commissioner 2016-19, responsible for EU policy on security, cyber and important aspects of tech and data.
We are delighted to appoint six new partners from our Flint team! Congratulations to Josh Buckland, Kiran Horwich, Karla Perca Lopez, Ed de Minckwitz, Jon Sell and Sion Simon. Deserved recognition of their contribution to the continuing growth and success of Flint.
We are pleased to welcome
@eliz_lloyd
to our team of specialist partners.
Before joining Flint Liz was Strategic Adviser and Chief of Staff to the First Minister of Scotland.
Today we celebrate Flint’s 5th birthday. Huge thanks to our wonderful team for their skill, energy and dedication, and to all our clients for the support they have given along the way.
#Brexit
is not all about the Irish backstop & Parliamentary tactics. The big issues are that any form of Brexit, not just no deal, will make us poorer, less secure, less influential in the world & less united.
@SimonFraser00
on
#Westminsterhour
. Listen:
Flint's
@GrubeClaus
, former Danish ambassador to the UK and to the EU, writes for
@esharpmag
on the limits to "flexibility and creativity" in the Brexit negotiations:
Starting the new year with new promotions. Congratulations to
@VerityGRyan
and
@JimDiggle
who have been promoted to Director. Deserved recognition for their achievements and contributions to Flint.
Flint Partner Mary Starks has been appointed by the DWP to lead a review of The Pensions Regulator (TPR). The review will examine how TPR is performing its role in the pensions system and where it can improve, providing greater value to savers and taxpayers.
.
@SimonFraser00
on possible delay to
#Brexit
talks: "the world is changing - both sides should prioritise responding to the economic crisis of
#coronavirus
. A delay would reduce risk of further shock from not being able to transition smoothly to a new UK-EU relationship”
@SkyNews
1.
#COVID19
has overshadowed much of government's policy agenda including the response to
#ClimateChange
. Now, the green agenda will have to battle for prominence during the economic recovery phase. A short thread on the likelihood of a green recovery by
@jbuckland13
and
@Gilesyb
"We have effectively outsourced our import health regime to the EU and saying we trust that you are going to keep our citizens safe" Flint Director of Trade
@SamuelMarcLowe
on
@BBCRadio4
discussing the delays in implementing Brexit checks.
Another chapter in Flint‘s European growth story. The Flint team in Brussels have just inaugurated their new office space in the heart of the EU quarter. We are looking forward to hosting our friends and clients on Avenue des Arts soon!
"The idea that this is an easy negotiation simply because the two parties are currently fully aligned is absurd... where the UK wants to diverge from EU regulation it will be necessary to determine whether trade restrictions are needed"
@SimonFraser00
speaking to
@expansioncom
Warmest congratulations to
@Jacqui_Smith1
on her appointment as Minister for Skills, Further and Higher Education in the House of Lords. We thank Jacqui for her great contribution as a Specialist Partner at
@FlintGlobal
and wish her all the best in her new role.
#Brexit
will reduce our international influence. Successful foreign policy needs clear priorities & policies plus leverage to pursue them through relationships & institutions. EU has been an important multiplier of our voice.
@SimonFraser00
All Out Politics
@adamboultonSKY
Happy International Women's Day! This year we are choosing to celebrate the wonderful and talented women at Flint by choosing to challenge.
#IWD2021
#ChooseToChallenge
Managing Partner
@SimonFraser00
to
@LSEpublicevents
: "UK Government does not want to extend the transition. Some may think it advantageous to conceal the economic impact of
#Brexit
within the much greater impact of
#COVID19
. Individuals + businesses should plan on this basis."
This week
@FlintGlobal
turns 8! We couldn't have reached this milestone without the support of our wonderful clients & our talented, dedicated teams around the world. We’re excited about the many more birthdays to come and can't wait to share our future successes with you all!
This month we welcome two interns Jessica Su and Alayna Afsar. Jessica has recently completed an MSc in Global Media & Communications at LSE and the University of Southern California. Alayna Afsar recently completed a placement in Rachel Reeves’s Parliamentary Office.
This September we are celebrating six promotions at Flint. Congratulations to
@SamuelMarcLowe
, promoted to Partner,
@AnnaAbela
, Franziska Kohler and
@steflehmann
, promoted to Director and Claudia Catelin and
@MPanizzardi
, promoted to Manager.
.
@SimonFraser00
on
@BBCNewsnight
discussing UK/EU
#tradedeal
: "The EU is based in treaties, laws & the pursuit of their own interest. They are going to show flexibility if there is a mutually advantageous outcome, but they are not going to sacrifice their interest to meet ours."
At the start of 2023, we are delighted to be celebrating the promotion of three new Directors at Flint - Ana Panchevska, James Hill and Nick Seaford. Well deserved recognition of their achievements and contribution to the company and our clients. Congratulations!
Flint Senior Adviser and former German Ambassador to the UK Thomas Matussek on the effects of Brexit which have yet to be felt. In
@handelsblatt
() and English write-up ()
We are delighted to welcome
@AJBMarshall
as a Senior Adviser in London. He will advise clients on policy issues and business strategy, Before joining Flint, Adam spent 12 years in the leadership of the British Chambers of Commerce and was its Director General from 2016-2021.
1/8 In the midst of the biggest health and economic crisis for a generation, the
#Brexit
negotiations resume. There are strong practical and economic arguments for an extension. But will it happen and if so what are the available options? Short thread…
Flint director, Francois-Joseph Schichan’s blog for
@UKandEU
explores the future of the Franco-British relationship and the importance of closer UK-France ties.
🇫🇷🇬🇧 "There is a window of opportunity to revive the Franco-British relationship"
NEW blog from François-Joseph Schichan on why
#Macron
should be friend not foe to the new Prime Minister 🔽🔽
📢This September we welcome six new Partners to Flint, Anne-Juliette Rohrbach,
@thomasbt2
,
@RousselBenoit
, Kim Rosello, Susan Murphy and
@SamuelMarcLowe
, further building our senior team in France, Brussels and London and expanding our services to clients.
Flint has opened a new office in
#Paris
led by Partner Anne-Juliette Rohrbach. Our ten-strong Flint France team across the company have experience of working at senior levels in the French government, parliament, regulatory agencies and private sector.
We are excited to welcome Marie Lykke-Jensen as a Consultant in Brussels. Prior to working at Flint, Marie worked for the European Commission Contact Centre and the Legislative Affairs Unit of the European Parliament in Brussels.
We are delighted to welcome Rita Jonusaite to the Brussels team.
Before joining Flint, Rita led the policy and advocacy activities of a Brussels-based NGO working on tackling disinformation, with a specific focus on platform regulation and media policy.
Flint is delighted to welcome
@MPanizzardi
as a Consultant based in London. Before joining Flint, Matteo specialised in energy and environmental policy as well as having worked at
@EU_Commission
on trade. Matteo will advise clients on UK and EU policy and politics.
Happy International Women's Day! This year we are choosing to celebrate the wonderful and talented women at Flint by choosing to Break The Bias.
#IWD2022
#BreakTheBias
Flint is delighted to welcome Ana Ukleba as a Consultant based in Brussels. Before joining Flint, Ana worked at the
@EU_Commission
, the Siemens EU Government Affairs office and the
@GovernmentGeo
. Ana will advise clients on EU regulation, policy and politics
“Here is a unique, generational chance for the industry to marry moral responsibility with reputational repair and commercial interests. Those who don’t get it will go to the wall."
@SimonFraser00
speaking at
#FedHermesCOP26
#FurtherFaster
conference in Glasgow today.
“He would have been working, whatever his personal beliefs and preferences, with integrity to deliver the best he could”
Managing Partner
@SimonFraser00
on Olly Robbins this morning on
@bbcr4today
.
Listen here:
Boris Johnson has not only to negotiate with the EU but make sure he can deliver support for his deal in the UK". Flint Managing Partner
@SimonFraser00
talks to
@BloombergTV
about the state of negotiations and the different parties Johnson must satisfy.
We are excited to welcome our new non-Executive Chair, Sir Ian Powell. Ian’s wide experience and knowledge in business and consultancy will further strengthen our leadership, growth and service to clients.
"UK government wants a more politically directed Civil Service – not necessarily politicised, but responsive to political direction. Where you have to be wary is if that tips over into an attack on Civil Service impartiality”
@SimonFraser00
@nytimes
A great pleasure to host Shadow Secretary of State for International
#Trade
Nick Thomas-Symonds today for the latest in our series of Flint business breakfasts with
#Labour
Flint is delighted to welcome Martin Holterman as a Manager at the Competition and Regulation practice in London. Martin was previously an Economic Advisor at the CMA, where he advised on a range of issues, including a large number of mergers, and the PR19 price control appeals.
Thanking Pedro Serrano, EU Ambassador to the UK, for joining us today at the Flint London office for an insightful roundtable on the EU’s role in the world.
Delighted to welcome
@Kinsellas
who brings over 30 years of experience advising on all aspects of EU
#competition
law with a particular focus on
#technology
, pharmaceutical and media sectors.
This month we are also delighted to welcome Mary Starks as a Partner at the Competition and Regulation practice. She was until recently Ofgem's Executive Director for Consumers and Markets. Prior to that, she was the Director of Competition and Chief Economist at the FCA.
In our latest blog, James Kilmartin looks at Labour’s climate mission and its policy to decarbonise the power sector by 2030. Is it possible? Read below to find out the 5 things Labour would need to do to deliver it.
We interviewed Viktoria Gal, Jennifer Umali and Zowie Orridge - The Flint Executive Team - about working at Flint and how they adapted to life under lockdown. Read the interview here:
A warm welcome to Léna who has joined the Brussels team!
Léna joined Flint from Microsoft, where she was part of the government affairs team in both Paris and Brussels, focusing in particular on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure policies.
Delighted to welcome Tim Pitt to Flint as a Partner advising on policy and political analysis. Tim brings recent and extensive HM Treasury and Whitehall experience as a senior political and policy adviser on industrial strategy, energy and productivity
@TimPitt11
At the Northern Ireland Assembly election last week, Sinn Féin won the largest number of seats for the first time since Northern Ireland came into existence. In this blog,
@JulianBKing
explores what this means for the future of Northern Ireland.
Many thanks to Jonathan Black, former Deputy UK National Security Adviser and now Heywood Fellow, for an excellent roundtable at Flint Global today on how business can help government find more effective ways to balance
#security
and
#economicpolicy
priorities.
"One of the big consequences of introducing a process that might lead to unilateral action is to increase uncertainty" for businesses in Northern Ireland and across the UK. Flint Specialist Partner
@kirkbytop
on
@TimesRadio
yesterday discussing the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“There are big advantages to the protocol. The Northern Ireland business community does not want all of this thrown up in the air.”
Civil servant Philip Rycroft discusses legislation that will give government ministers power to remove parts of the Northern Ireland protocol.
This week we are excited to announce that
@zacspiro
has joined PPA as a Consultant in London. Before joining Flint, Zac worked in Westminster as a Parliamentary Researcher. He also helped develop policy in Boris Johnson's 2019 leadership campaign.
📢 We are pleased to announce that Flint is opening an office in Dublin. Our Irish team is led by Flint partner
@Ballyannelad
. Liam is an expert on Irish policy and global healthcare and an experienced adviser to governments and corporate leaders.
We are pleased to welcome
@Jacqui_Smith1
as a Flint Specialist Partner.
Rt Hon Jacqui was the UK’s first female Home Secretary from 2007-9, in the Labour government. She was elected as MP for Redditch in 1997 and became a minister in 1999.
“The chances of a second Scottish independence referendum have certainly gone up.” Read Flint's Philip Rycroft in conversation with
@prospect_uk
discussing
#Brexit
,
#indyref2
and their potential impact on UK political structures
This week we welcome Kathryn Watson who joins Flint as a Consultant. Prior to joining Flint, Kathryn was a Commercial Adviser at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. She has also worked as an adviser on Brexit, and Ministerial Adviser within the New Zealand government.
We are delighted to welcome
@JimDiggle
as a Manager in London. Prior to Flint, James led the energy and climate team at the CBI, positioning the organisation as an influential voice on net-zero emissions policy and supporting businesses with their low-carbon investment plans.
We are happy to announce Maïsanne Lahmar-Savage has joined the Brussels team as a Manager. Prior to joining Flint, Maïssane was a Senior Manager in a Brussels-based consultancy, where she supported clients in their EU public affairs and led several EU-wide public policy campaigns
The next chapter of world affairs will be about the political, economic, regulatory, technological and military interplay between the US, China and Europe. The task for the UK is finding our place in this.”
@SimonFraser00
quoted in the
@TheEconomist
Britain can be a nimbler power outside the EU. But hard choices and re-engagement are needed to secure its own place on the world stage. Our cover across Europe this week
This week we are delighted to welcome Claudia Catelin as a Consultant at PPA in London. Prior to joining Flint, Claudia was EU & Trade Policy Adviser at the Institute of Directors. She has also worked at the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium.
We are pleased to announce that Hayfa Matar is joining Flint as a Partner to spearhead our work in the Middle East. Hayfa has an outstanding record as a Bahraini diplomat, policy adviser, investment banker and business consultant. Welcome, Hayfa!
8. But Govt will be looking for measures that can hit both
#environmental
& economic objectives. It will also be looking to shape a renewed UK economic identity, improving the prospects for game-changing future technologies, like clean hydrogen & carbon capture, use and storage.
2. The impact of
#COVID19
on global carbon emissions is one of the few silver linings to the current pandemic. As countries have gone into lockdown, emissions have fallen dramatically with early analysis putting us on course for the biggest fall on record.
@IEA
11. Ultimately, achieving
#netzero
by 2050 remains hugely challenging. Major changes to policy &
#regulatoryframeworks
will still be required. As will action on an international framework to ensure national recovery plans support climate action, making
#COP26
even more important
"We need a strong, enduring relationship with the
#US
but also if possible a constructive economic & political relationship with
#China
. International organisations can help the UK & EU avoid being confronted with a binary choice between these powers."
@SimonFraser00
on
@trtworld
We are delighted to announce Jyoti Tandon has joined Flint Global as a Senior Adviser based in Mumbai, India. She will be working closely with the Asia-Pacific team.
6. But will the rhetoric be backed up by action? The public will ultimately judge Govt on how it helps people through immediate financial hardship. The economic response will therefore be driven primarily by whatever measures will best create jobs and drive
#economicgrowth
Specialist Partner
@kirkbytop
in
@thetimesscot
on the uncertainty to expect ahead of May’s Holyrood elections and the challenge businesses face in taking the political temperature on a referendum on independence for Scotland
10. However, behavioural changes may not necessarily be positive. Use of
#publictransport
is likely to fall, risking an increase in car usage. And the challenging politics of switching to clean energy supplies will return quickly if Government doesn’t tread carefully.
This week
@jbuckland13
Joshua Buckland, Flint Director and former Energy Advisor to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, shares his analysis on the Prime Minister's 10-point climate plan and what it means for businesses and investors.
Yesterday we celebrated Flint’s 7th Birthday! We couldn't have reached this milestone without the support of our wonderful clients and our talented and dedicated team. We’re excited about what the future holds, and we can’t wait to carry on sharing it with you along the way.
We are delighted to announce that Nick Morris has joined us as a Partner at the Competition and Regulation Practice in London. Before joining Flint, Nick led the KPMG regulatory finance team for eight years. Prior to that, he was a senior member of the Competition Group at Ofcom.
9. Longer-term, changes in consumer behaviour may prove positive. Remote working will increase. International business travel will fall. People may be more accepting of Govt intervening in their everyday lives, potentially making the shift to cleaner
#energy
sources easier.
@IEA
🎧 Our latest podcast is live. Flint Partner
@jbuckland13
is joined by Flint experts Mary Starks,
@GregKreuzhuber
and François-Joseph Schichan to discuss where next for the energy market from a UK, European and international lens.
This week we are also delighted to welcome François-Joseph Schichan as a Director based in London. Prior to joining Flint, he spent 10 years in the French diplomatic service as a political adviser to various Ambassadors.
Welcome James, Maria and Josh who have joined Flint as consultants in the London office.
James and Maria have joined the Markets and Investor Advisory practice, and Josh has joined as part of the Policy and Political Analysis practice.