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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The Strategist: Michael Prescott, Managing Director, Hanover – “Better to risk being the most overdressed person in the room than the scruffiest” 

Mace | August 11, 2026

From political editor of The Sunday Times to bringing down two BBC chiefs, Michael Prescott reflects on his distinguished career as a journalist and now leading UK corporate

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Martin Turner, Director of Policy and External Affairs, BioIndustry Association, “Pensions reform is a major issue for us”

Mace | August 8, 2026

Turner’s work sits within the BioIndustry Association, the trade body representing the UK’s biotechnology and life sciences sector.

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Konrad Shek, Public Policy & Regulation Director, Advertising Association, “I prefer strategy to performance, substance to theatre”

Mace | August 7, 2026

Konrad Shek discusses his proudest achievement of building the Advertising Association’s credibility and influence in media literacy policy.

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Robert Forrester, Chief Executive, Vertu Motors plc, “Leaders need to cast a vision and hold people accountable”

Mace | August 6, 2026

Robert Forrester reflects on his achievement in helping to found a company 20 years ago that now generates £5bn in revenue and employs more than 7,500 people.

Leader in Public Affairs: David Sheen, Public Affairs Director, UKHospitality, “Take a risk, offer innovative solutions”

Mace | August 5, 2026

David Sheen pushes back against common perceptions about public affairs, but argues instead that it is about hard work, marshalling arguments, and building coalitions.

Leader in Public Affairs: Signe Norberg, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, ISEP, “Human relationships remain critical, AI needs careful application”

Mace | August 4, 2026

Signe Norberg reflects on her leadership philosophies, encouraging people to 'lead with humanity'

Leader in Public Affairs: Grace Pritchard, Downing Street Director of News and the Prime Minister’s Political Spokesperson

Mace | August 3, 2026

After heading the Makerfield by-election comms team, Grace Pritchard was singled out by Andy Burnham as being a key part of his northern campaign team. The self-styled 'Yorkshire

Leader in Public Affairs: Zak Viney, Campaigns and Public Affairs Coordinator, Living Streets, “Politics starts locally on the doorstep”

Mace | August 3, 2026

Living Streets’ Zak Viney speaks to The Mace about moving from engineering into advocacy, making the case for walkable streets across political divides and securing practical progress on

Leader in Public Affairs: Zara Harrington, Head of Public Affairs, Diageo – “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”

Mace | August 3, 2026

From navigating regulation and trade policy to aligning advocacy with commercial strategy, Diageo’s Zara Harington's career in public affairs has been about understanding how political decisions translate into

The Advocate: Lucy Gilchrist, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, PepsiCo UKI – “Advocacy enables better policymaking”

Mace | August 2, 2026

PepsiCo UKI’s Lucy Gilchrist does some of her best policy thinking on the running machine. She tells The Mace why public affairs must turn intelligence into action, how