Leader in UK Public Affairs: Charlotte Thomason, Head of Public Affairs, Commercial & Institutional, NatWest, “In failure is growth”

Mace | 2nd October 2026 | In-House Public Affairs, Westminster Index

Charlotte reflects on entrepreneurship, leadership and AI, and why understanding the businesses behind policy issues matter.

For Charlotte Thomason, one of the most important policy questions facing the UK economy is also one of the most overlooked. “I worry that we’re not focussed enough on how entrepreneurship can unlock barriers for young people,” she says — particularly at a time when job instability is disproportionately affecting younger workers. At NatWest, that concern sits within a broader focus on growth, business support and economic participation. NatWest is one of the UK’s largest banking groups, working across retail, commercial and institutional banking. Its public affairs function engages on issues ranging from SME finance and entrepreneurship to regional growth and financial inclusion — areas where policy decisions have direct implications for businesses and individuals across the economy. For Thomason, the challenge is not just economic, but structural. Many young people are already experimenting with entrepreneurship — “selling on Vinted or TikTok businesses,” she notes — but the system is...

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Mace | May 12, 2026

Nick Laitner, MD of Teneo, describes his public affairs journey from graduate intern to senior UK political influencer. Agency success, he says, comes from hiring and mentoring the

The power of translation: A new public affairs litmus test for defence tech

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The role of public affairs in this environment is no longer simply to advocate but to translate, says Rachel Epstein.

Emily Cheyne-Guess, Director of Public Affairs, Communication and Engagement, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

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“AI can’t read the room (!)… influence still depends on relationships, trust and understanding how decisions are made.”

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Jon Antoniazzi, Associate Director for Policy & Public Affairs, Marie Curie

Mace | April 29, 2026

After his father died of a NHS failure and his mother from a late cancer diagnosis, Jon Antoniazzi has been on a determined career path to change health

The Mace Questionnaire: Alex Sobel MP

Mace | April 15, 2026

The Labour MP on the cost of living crisis, the challenges in Ukraine and West Papua, and the best places in Leeds for a night out

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Jacquie Bance de Vasquez, Director of Policy and Engagement, Magic Breakfast

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Beginning in the film industry and moving over to working in social enterprise, Jacquie Bance de Vasquez talks The Mace through her work

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Konrad Shek, Public Policy & Regulation Director, Advertising Association

Mace | April 8, 2026

From IT engineer to Foreign Office diplomat to advertising regulator, Konrad Shek has built a career by going where curiosity leads - and his instinct for translating complexity

The Mace Questionnaire: Bob Blackman MP: “It is time to rebuild our party”

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The ‘pragmatic’ new chair of the 1922 Committee could shape the direction of the Conservative Party

Special Relationships: Westminster power couples of 2026

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Which special relationships are really running the country? Emily Hill surveys the top political romances in Westminster.

The Strategist: Shomik Panda, Inline Policy

Mace | March 25, 2026

As CEO of Inline Policy, Shomik Panda combines political insight with commercial understanding. Selected as a Mace Top 100 lobbyist, expertise includes where digital technology intersects with travel,