Hakluyt & Company

Last month, Richard Karp and John Lindsay, two colleagues in our Washington D.C. office, spoke at the 2024 Tough Tech Summit in Boston, hosted by Engine Ventures and The Engine Accelerator.    Richard and John shared their insights on the power of relationships in driving business success, and navigating the complexities of the global business landscape. Thanks to all for a fascinating discussion!

Our teams in both London and Mumbai brought together inspiring women from across our network for two events last week. In London, we hosted a great evening of conversation including a short talk from Helen Fry on her latest book, Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World Wars. In Mumbai, we launched the India chapter of the Hakluyt Women’s Salon – a concept we began in Singapore, which aims to bring together senior women to share their experiences and build a community based on mentorship and support. 

We are delighted to be partnering with the Clontarf Foundation, an important organisation that works to improve the education and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men in Australia. Andrew Tiernan and Pete McConnell, two colleagues in our Australia team, recently had the chance to spend some time in Australia’s Northern Territory, where they visited Clontarf Academies and fished for dinner, camped out, hiked and saw some millennia-old rock art with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys from the academies. Find out more about the Foundation and its work here: clontarf.org.au.

Taro Nordheider, who leads our work in the DACH region, joined David Hughes at the Negotiation Conference in Zurich recently for a stimulating conversation about the complexity of high-stakes business negotiations. The discussion focused on M&A deals and how we advise business leaders when they face these major decisions. Schranner Negotiation Institute

Congratulations to Justin Di Lollo, a colleague in our New York office, on his appointment to the board of RALLY4EVER, a not-for-profit organisation founded by former professional tennis player Louise Pleming, with the mission to use tennis to improve mental and physical wellbeing across diverse communities. We know how much value Justin will bring to the board as it expands its operations to the US. Congratulations, Justin!

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons Ratan Tata, a great friend of the firm.    Mr Tata was a visionary industrialist and philanthropist, and a much-valued longstanding member of our international advisory board.   Our condolences to his family and all who knew him.   Tata Group

In the latest episode of our Principal Navigations podcast, we were delighted to sit down with Mark Hanson, a very longstanding partner in our firm who has held a number of leadership roles with us around the world, most recently as Regional Head of our Asia-Pacific business. Mark’s unique journey spans multiple countries and careers – from growing up in India, Iran, Bahrain and England, to serving as a soldier and in government before joining us more than 20 years ago. In our conversation with him, Mark reflected on some of the individuals and experiences that have shaped him, highlighting how they prepared him to advise clients on the most complex global issues at Hakluyt. If you would like to listen to our conversation with Mark, you can do so here.

Our London team hosted the former UK Special Representative for Climate Change, Nick Bridge CMG, for a thought-provoking discussion about the impact of geopolitics on action to tackle climate change at a national and international level. The lively conversation also considered how businesses and investors can keep this issue on the agenda at international summits.

We were delighted to host Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation and former England captain Michael Atherton for a wonderful dinner at our London townhouse. ACCF supports disadvantaged children, using cricket and other activities to promote active lifestyles, improve social inclusion, and raise ambitions. After dinner, we were treated to a conversation between John Barclay, former Sussex captain who ran ACCF for over 30 years, and Michael Atherton to talk cricket – past, present and future – and its role in society. Johnny and Mike were later joined by Arfan Akram of Essex CCC and Judy Knappett, a headteacher in Tower Hamlets, for a fascinating discussion about the many ways in which cricket can have a positive social impact. We are proud to support a number of non-profit and cultural partners in the UK and around the world.

We were pleased to host the first meeting of the Who is Losing Learning Solutions Council at our London office, where they discussed the new 'Who is Losing Learning?' report.    The Council aims to help develop policy solutions that can tackle the root causes of lost learning. It is made up of brilliant charities including The Difference, Mission 44, Impetus - Backing the best and IPPR, who are working with school leaders, parents’ groups and children’s organisations to help get excluded children back into full-time education. We are proud to support a number of non-profit and cultural partners in the UK and around the world.