(From right to left) Will Tanner, who was deputy head of Theresa May’s Policy Unit until the recent general election, has joined the agency as its chief policy adviser. Laura Trott, who worked as a special adviser to David Cameron, is joining Portland as a partner in its corporate group and No 10 Deputy Political Director Nick Hargrave returns to Portland as a corporate director.
Will Tanner previously worked as a Special Adviser to Theresa May when she was Home Secretary, following a period in the civil service. Prior to joining government, Tanner was a senior researcher at the think tank Reform. At Portland, he will advise clients on the policy priorities of the Conservative Government, including Brexit. The role of chief policy adviser at Portland was previously held by Lord O’Shaughnessy, now a junior minister at the Department for Health.
Laura Trott, who was awarded an MBE in the former PM’s resignation honours, was Head of Strategic Communications at No 10 until Theresa May became Prime Minister. She was part of the Conservative team from 2009, previously working in the No 10 Policy Unit and as Chief of Staff to Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude. Prior to her career in politics, Trott was a strategy consultant at Booz & Company.
Nick Hargrave returns to Portland as a Director from No 10 where he was most recently Deputy Political Director. Nick is an experienced strategist, having worked on political campaigns in a number of continents – including the Conservative Party’s General Election victory in 2015, Europe more widely, Asia and the Caribbean. Starting his career at Portland in 2010, Nick spent two years working across a range of clients and sectors and subsequently held positions as a speechwriter to David Cameron and as a Political Adviser in the Conservative Research Department. At Portland, Nick will enhance Portland’s Research and Insight’s offer, amplifying its impact within the Corporate group and act as a campaign strategist for clients.
The Corporate group at Portland is made up of 80 consultants and works across public affairs, corporate, internal, digital, research and insights, local and financial communications.