Leader In Public Affairs: Lewis North, Head of Public Affairs, Porterbrook, “Take care of your people and they will take care of you”

Mace | 26th August 2026 | In-House Public Affairs, Westminster Index

From gaining his politics degree to standing in the 2019 General Election - Lewis reveals how these experiences informed his career in public affairs.

“With a politics degree and having worked for an MEP… public affairs was an obvious route,” says Lewis North. The path itself, however, was less straightforward. Moving from Brussels to Westminster meant “a couple of sideways career steps” to learn the procedural differences — a reminder that even adjacent political systems require different instincts. That early experience left him with something more durable than process knowledge. “The contact book has stayed quite strong,” he says, reflecting on a cohort that returned to the UK around Brexit. It is a quiet advantage in a profession where relationships, once formed, tend to endure. Today, he operates in a sector where policy, finance and infrastructure intersect closely. Porterbrook is one of the UK’s leading rolling stock leasing companies, owning and financing thousands of rail vehicles used across the national network. Working with train operators and government, it plays a central role in how trains are procured, upgraded and de...

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Leader In Public Affairs, Jayne Almond, Public Affairs Director UKI, L’Oréal, “Look after your network and treat people well”

Mace | October 30, 2026

Jayne Almond’s career has taken her from Brussels and local government to some of the UK’s best-known consumer brands. L’Oréal’s UK and Ireland public affairs director tells The

Leader in Public Affairs: Luke Law, Director of Government & External Affairs, Serco Group Plc — “You don’t influence from your desk”

Mace | October 19, 2026

Serco’s Luke Law speaks to The Mace about public affairs at the sharp end of government delivery, the importance of relationships in a volatile policy environment and why

Leader in UK Public Affairs, Madeleine Hale, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy (UK&I), Dell Technologies, “Ask for forgiveness, not permission”

Mace Magazine | October 15, 2026

From a music degree and Parliament to five years inside the civil service, Madeleine Hale has built a career around taking opportunities and understanding government from within. Dell

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Jonathan Pallant, Head of External Affairs, Financial Services Compensation Scheme, “Lead by example and be clear on your standards”

Mace | October 9, 2026

Shifting perceptions, particularly in financial services, is “no easy task” — and often requires sustained engagement across multiple audiences

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Abigail Whittaker, Chief of Staff, Funding Circle “Public affairs is built on the strength and nuance of personal relationships (or a well-timed coffee)”

Mace | October 9, 2026

Funding Circle’s Abigail Whittaker explains how policy can unlock finance for small businesses, why timing matters in advocacy and why AI will make strong relationships more valuable, not

Leader in Public Affairs: Erin Mansell, Deputy Director and Head of External Affairs, Women’s Budget Group, “Feminists generally get a bad rap for being serious”

Mace | October 8, 2026

At the Women’s Budget Group, debates about fiscal rules, welfare reform and public spending land directly on the lives of women, carers and disabled people.

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Ross Hawley, Head of Investor Relations, ZIGUP, “You understand the detail and live with the consequences”

Mace | October 7, 2026

Having moved into investor relations from a City banking and hedge fund background, his route into policy engagement has been indirect — but increasingly central.

Leader in Public Affairs – Polly Dhaliwal, Chief Operating Officer, Enterprise Nation “Public affairs, at its best, is about bridging worlds”

Mace | October 7, 2026

Enterprise Nation’s Polly Dhaliwal explains how public affairs can bridge the gap between policymakers and entrepreneurs, turn small-business experience into practical policy and ensure ambition is matched by

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

Mace | October 2, 2026

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

Markus Leutert, Corporate Affairs, PerkinElmer – “Focus on outcomes, rather than outputs”

Mace | September 29, 2026

Leutert's career has included moments close to politics, including time as a speechwriter, but he concluded that he can have more impact behind the scenes.