Leader in Public Affairs: Charlotte Whitley, Head of Corporate Affairs, British Land – “Nothing beats really getting under the skin of the issue”

Mace | 8th July 2026 | In-House Public Affairs, Westminster Index
Charlotte Whitley
Charlotte Whitley

After cutting her teeth in agencies such as FTI and FGS Global, Whitley moved in-house to British Land in 2015, a role that has defined her career as a leading advocate in the UK property world.

“I started my career in financial and corporate communications,” says Charlotte Whitley, “cutting my teeth in agencies such as FTI and FGS Global.” It was a training ground that offered breadth and pace, before a move in-house in 2015 that has defined the last decade of her career. Since then, her remit has expanded steadily — most recently to include marketing and public affairs — bringing together “external communications and stakeholder engagement in a more holistic way.”

That shift reflects a broader trend: corporate affairs as an integrated function, rather than a collection of adjacent disciplines.

At British Land, that integration sits within one of the UK’s largest property development and investment companies. The business owns and manages a significant portfolio of commercial real estate, spanning offices, retail destinations and mixed-use developments, with a particular focus on London and major UK cities. In a sector shaped by planning, regeneration and long-term capital investment, engagement with policymakers and stakeholders is central to delivery.

For Whitley, the appeal of in-house work remains clear. “Nothing beats really getting under the skin of the issue,” she says, particularly when working alongside those “at the coal face” of projects and strategy. The contrast with agency life is not framed negatively — “the variety… was an incredible way to learn” — …

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