Charles Lewington

Charles Lewington founded Hanover over 11 years ago on the back of a high profile career in Downing Street and political journalism. He was Press Secretary to John Major in the 1990s, handling some of the biggest political media crises of the decade. Prior to that, he held senior management positions on a number of national newspapers, including the Sunday and Daily Express. He observed and wrote about British politics at Westminster from 1988 onwards, covering the downfall of Margaret Thatcher, the first Iraq War and Britain’s convulsive exit from the European Exchange Rate mechanism.

Charles provides strategic counsel to CEOs and Corporate Affairs Directors of many of Hanover’s corporate and public affairs clients, including Microsoft, BskyB, EADS and Goldman Sachs. He has particular expertise in integrated media and political campaigns, crisis management and litigation support and is one of the leading political strategists in the London public affairs market. He has built Hanover from a staff of one to a team of 50 consultants, based in London and Brussels. Hanover was named European Public Affairs Agency of the Year in 2011 by the Holmes Report and is one of Europe’s fastest growing independent consultancies. Charles was awarded the OBE in 1997 for political services and is a regular broadcaster on the BBC and commentator on FT.com.