Leader in UK Public Affairs: Nick Laitner, Senior MD, Teneo: “Money doesn’t buy influence”

Mace | 12th May 2026 | Westminster Index
Nick_Laitner

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 best people

Nick Laitner’s route into public affairs began in a way that now feels increasingly out of reach. “A speculative letter resulting in an internship,” he says — a simple entry point into a boutique agency that would set the direction of his career. Looking back, he is clear how much the landscape has changed. “It’s tragic how unlikely that route is for a recent graduate in 2026.” That early experience has developed into a senior role within one of the most influential advisory firms in the sector. Teneo operates at the intersection of business, politics and communications, advising global clients on strategy, reputation and public affairs. Its work spans multiple sectors and jurisdictions, often at moments of high complexity or risk — where political, regulatory and commercial considerations converge. For Laitner, that variety is central to the appeal of agency work. “The overview you get from talking to business leaders across a range of sectors,” he says, combined with “the sheer varie...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



The Mace Questionnaire: Andrew Griffith MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Mace | March 25, 2026

After running Sky, Andrew Griffiths become a high flying MP who rose through the Johnson and Sunak governments. In his Mace profile, the new Shadow Chancellor reveals his

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive of CIPR

Mace | March 25, 2026

As Chief Executive of CIPR, Alastair McCapra is both a public affairs industry leader and also one of its more persistent critics. In his Mace profile, subjects range

Leader in UK Public Affairs: Rory Tanner, Head of UK Government Affairs, Revolut

Mace | March 25, 2026

As Revolut's Head of UK Government affairs, Rory Tanner's mission is to help CEO Francesca Carlesi grow the $75 billion financial app to 25 million customers. He tells

Leader in Public Affairs: Ben Spier, Association of Professional Self-Caterers

Mace | March 21, 2026

With English Tourism week running until 23rd March, Ben Spier speaks out about the new tourist levy and the impact of increasing taxation and regulation on tourism.

Deliverance Day: Meet Starmer’s Mr Fixer-in-Chief

William Cash | March 11, 2026

Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the PM, has released the first tranche of the Mandelson Files to the Commons. In an exclusive, he tells The Mace that his

The Mace Questionnaire: Preet Gill MP

Mace | February 16, 2026

Westminster Index 2026: Edgbaston Labour MP Preet Gill reveals she's no fan of the Assisted Dying Bill but loves Jack Kerouac's On the Road. Her musical tastes range

Access, Power, Influence: The Mace’s Top 100 Lobbyists (agencies) 2026

Sarah Richardson | February 11, 2026

Introducing The Mace’s guide to the top 100 political strategists working in UK public affairs in 2026. Peer-reviewed by industry experts, we reveal the leading agency professionals advocating

Heads Up – Talking Strategy with Headland’s Toby Pellew

William Cash | February 11, 2026

Under managing director Toby Pellew, Headland has become one of the UK’s leading public affairs agencies. He reveals what it takes to get to the top in the

Zack to the future

Thomas Edwards | November 24, 2025

What will the Greens’ new eco-populist leader Zack Polanski – who now heads Britain’s third-largest political party – do for his next trick?

The Diary: Andrew Griffith MP

Mace | May 16, 2022

The director of Number 10's Policy Unit tells us about his return to Downing Street