Global Words of Wisdom...On Life After Brexit (#LifeAfterBrexit)

Andrew Whittaker
H.M Consul General to San Francisco

Andrew Whittaker is the British Consul General in San Francisco, where he is responsible for delivering the UK government's objectives across the North-western United States (Northern CA, OR, WA, ID, MT, WY & AK). 

Prior to his role as Consul General, Andrew spent three years as Deputy Director at CERT-UK - the UK's national cyber security team - focusing on supporting and developing engagement on cyber security issues between government and industry, and with international partners.

Drawing on his previous cyber experience, Andrew works closely with colleagues in the UK Government to frame technology policy. As the senior most representative in this region, Andrew speaks regularly on issues of importance to the UK Government on a diverse range of subjects from economic policy to cultural connections between the US and UK. He is a resource to the business community as well as British Nationals who are visiting or have made their home in the Bay Area.

Since arriving in the Bay Area in 2016, Andrew also works to promote closer political, economic, trade and cultural ties between the UK and his consular region, in particular strengthening the business relationship across sectors from technology and venture capital to cyber security and aerospace. Andrew actively supports the innovation ties between the two regions, helping create the climate for UK and US researchers to cement important collaborations in key areas of future technological development.

Before this role Andrew was Deputy Head of the Crisis Management Department in the Foreign Office, handling the UK response to incidents ranging from conflict in the Middle East, the sinking of the Costa Concordia, and hostage taking in Algeria. Andrew's Foreign Office career, which began in 1998, also includes postings in Madrid, Jerusalem and Basra.

Andrew holds a MA (Hons) degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge (Magdalene College). Though his playing days are now over, Andrew is a rugby enthusiast and plans to spend lots of time outdoors on family adventures across the US. Andrew is married to his wife Alex, and they have two boys.

 

Peter Watts
Partner, Hogan Lovells

Innovative, insightful and practical, honed by 25 years + diverse experience.
 
Whether helping clients broker multi-party deals, navigate the intersection of business and government or find the right business structure, Peter distils what really matters and uses creative solutions where necessary.
 
Peter has a particular interest in managing change and in setting legal issues or transactions in the wider context, understanding the perspectives of multiple parties and how they are relevant to delivering success.
 
He has delivered many projects in technology and media solving complex issues concerning soware, rights and data. He understands the particular sensitivities of the public sector whether expressed through regulation or direct state involvement in deals. He knows how important it is not to see a supply chain or distribution network as a series of separate transactions but as a series of interdependent relationships from the source to the ultimate
consumer.
 
In addition to his work with clients Peter has also held a number of leadership roles at the Firm including heading the Commercial practice and Co-Leading the Firm's TMT Sector work as well taking a prominent role in the Firm current transformation programme and serving for many years as a member of the International Operations Committee of predecessor firm Lovells.
 
Peter has written, spoken and appeared on many platforms including Reuters TV, Sky News and PLC magazine on subjects as diverse as the trends in TMT M&A, the UK's Consumer Rights Act and preparing your business for a downturn. He is also one of the principal creators and contributors to the Hogan Lovells proprietary set of global contracting tools and insight (www.hlcomplexcontracting.com).

 

Melissa Harkcom
Director, North America at Fitzgerald & Law

Melissa Harkcom is an F&L Director with over 16 years’ commercial legal and global expansion experience advising both B2B and B2C companies of all sizes.

Alastair Paterson
CEO/Founder at Digital Shadows

Alastair is the CEO and co-founder of the cyber security company, Digital Shadows.  Alastair has worked for over a decade advising secure government and blue-chip clients on large-scale data analytics for risk and intelligence. Before founding Digital Shadows in 2011, Alastair was International Propositions Manager at BAE Systems Detica working with clients in the Gulf, Europe and Australasia. He holds a first class MEng in Computer Science from the University of Bristol.