Hakluyt & Company is a British strategic intelligence and advisory firm, and since 2011 has been a trading name of the renamed company Holdingham Group Limited.[1] Pelorus Research is another trading activity of Holdingham Group, started in 2011, providing research to investment managers.[2] The company is headquartered in London and has subsidiary offices in New York, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney.[3]
Hakluyt avoids publicity, but is regarded as having a reputation for discretion and effectiveness among its client base.[4] Hakluyt was founded by former officials of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).[5][6] It attracted controversy in 2001 when Hakluyt was alleged in the Sunday Times to have employed staff to infiltrate environmental groups when working for BP and Royal Dutch Shell.[7]
Holdingham Group is chaired by Paul Deighton, and the other members of the board include managing director Paul Schreier, Robert Webb QC and Matthew Williams.[8]
The Hakluyt International Advisory Board
Hakluyt's international advisory board comprises senior figures with backgrounds in business and government. It is chaired by Niall FitzGerald, KBE, former CEO and chairman of Unilever, and its current members are:[9]
Professor Sir Roy Anderson — Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and former Rector, Imperial College London
M. S. Banga — Partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and former Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever
Keith Craig — Former Managing Director, Holdingham Group Limited
Amaury de Seze — Vice Chairman, Power Corporation of Canada
Sir Christopher Gent — Former Chairman, GlaxoSmithKline and former CEO, Vodafone
Dr Jurgen Grossmann — Founder and Shareholder, Georgsmarienhutte Holding GmbH
Irene Lee — Chairman, Hysan Development Co. Limited
Sir Iain Lobban — Former Director, UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
Minoru (Ben) Makihara, KBE — Former President and Chairman, Mitsubishi Corporation
Trevor Manuel — Former Minister of Finance, South Africa
Akio Mimura — Chairman, Tokyo and Japan Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Lubna Olayan — CEO and Deputy Chairperson, Olayan Financing Company
Sir John Rose — Former CEO, Rolls-Royce
Andreas Sohmen-Pao — Chairman, BW Group
Ambassador Louis Susman — Former US Ambassador to the UK
Ratan Tata, GBE — Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons