Penta Group, the world’s first comprehensive stakeholder solutions firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of former UK Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister), the Rt Hon Lord Philip Hammond, to its Global Advisory Board.
Lord Hammond joined Penta on August 1, 2025, bringing experience at the highest levels of Government to the firm as it continues to redefine reputation management for the world’s leading organizations through data-driven strategy and insights.
Lord Hammond served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Runnymede and Weybridge for 22 years, from 1997 until 2019. He joined the Cabinet upon David Cameron’s election as UK Prime Minister in 2010, serving as Secretary of State for Transport (2010-11) and Defence (2011-14) before his appointment as Foreign Secretary – one of the UK’s four ‘Great Offices of State’. In one of her first acts as UK Prime Minister in 2016, Theresa May appointed Lord Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer, responsible for running the UK economy.
As a member of Penta’s Global Advisory Board, which earlier this year welcomed the former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, Lord Hammond will offer strategic guidance to Penta’s key clients on their commercial and business challenges. He will also support Penta’s leadership team as the firm continues on its ambitious growth trajectory.
"We are delighted to welcome Philip Hammond to our Global Advisory Board," said Matt McDonald, CEO of Penta Group. "This appointment is a true validation of Penta’s proposition: to serve the world’s most consequential organizations as best-in-class strategic advisors, driven by proprietary data and insights . During his outstanding career to date, Philip has deftly navigated increasing global complexity and geopolitical turbulence at the highest level. His evidence-led approach will be invaluable as we seek to challenge conventional thinking and practice.”
As a Cabinet minister and key member of the UK Government for almost a decade, Lord Hammond can point to a series of notable political achievements. He oversaw the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which reshaped the UK’s military capabilities to make it more adaptable and able to meet modern threats. He also played a key role in diplomatic negotiations, particularly in the immediate aftermath of Brexit and against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, working closely with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State John Kerry.
As Chancellor, Lord Hammond oversaw record levels of employment at a time when the UK was the second-fastest growing economy in the G7. He had a stabilizing influence on the public finances, with debt falling as a proportion of GDP by the time he left office.
"Throughout my political and business career, I have seen at first hand the critical importance of taking decisions rooted in the available evidence, not narrow pre-conceptions" said Lord Hammond. "Penta is at the cutting edge of a new approach to strategic advisory. I have been tremendously impressed by the firm’s proprietary technology, and its use of data analytics and deep research to drive real impact. I look forward to working closely with the leadership of the firm to support clients in delivering on their commercial ambitions, in an increasingly volatile and complex world."
The appointment of Lord Hammond underscores the firm’s commitment to world-class advisory services that empower businesses to make informed, high-impact decisions. It comes weeks after Los Angeles-based Shamrock Capital’s investment in Penta, which will allow the firm to further invest in its proprietary data, analytics and AI capabilities, and build out its scaled footprint.
This investment will supercharge Penta’s ability to deliver differentiated strategic advisory, data, insights, and technology offerings for large enterprises navigating complex stakeholder relations in an increasingly complicated and rapidly changing business, policy, and regulatory environment.
For more information, please contact:
Andy Williams, Chief of Staff, Europe and Asia
andrew.williams@pentagroup.com