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

Mace | 12th May 2026 | Westminster Index

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...

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