Decision

Summary of business appointments applications - Lt Gen Mayall

Updated 19 July 2017

Lt Gen Mayall left his role as Senior Adviser for the Middle East in July 2015.

1. Consultant, Brightstone Middle East

2. Independent Consultancy

Sir Simon sought advice on taking up an appointment with Brightstone Middle East and setting up an independent consultancy.

The Committee noted that Sir Simon proposed to accept a position as a consultant with Brightstone Middle East, a British-Emirati company, facilitating British companies that wish to set up, operate or trade with the UAE and some other Middle Eastern countries. Sir Simon would be employed to provide advice on the company’s business development and potentially become involved with client management in the UK.

Sir Simon also intended to establish an independent consultancy that would focus on giving strategic level advice on risk and opportunity to companies wishing to understand the Middle East and North Africa or to do business there. He sought the Committee’s advice about a role as a Senior Advisory Board Member for Greenhill and Co International in July 2015 and would continue this work through his consultancy.

When considering this application the Committee took into account that the role with Brightstone Middle East would not involve any contact or dealings with the MOD or government more generally and that the MOD Business Appointments Panel expressed no reservations about Sir Simon taking up the position and establishing an independent consultancy, subject to conditions.

The Secretary of State for Defence accepted the Committee’s advice that these appointments be subject to the following conditions:

• He should not draw on privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service;
• For two years from his last day in service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of any of his clients or those he advises;
• He should revert to the Committee for permission prior to working on defence-related business for Brightstone Middle East; and
• For two years from his last day of service, before accepting any new commission he should apply to the Committee for approval to confirm that it is acceptable under the terms of his independent consultancy and the Business Appointments Rules. (If, after enquiry, the Committee takes the view that a commission is, or may be, outside the terms of the consultancy he will be expected to submit a fresh application).

The letter containing the final advice was sent in September 2016. The appointment with Brightstone Middle East was subsequently taken up.

3. Senior Advisory Board Member, Greenhill & Co International

Lt Gen Mayall sought the Committee’s advice to accept a role with Greenhill & Co International as a Senior Advisory Board Member

The Committee took into account that Greenhill & Co International are an independent investment bank and as such have no defence engagements and no engagements with the MOD. The Committee also took into account that as Greenhill and the MOD’s business environments are mutually exclusive, Lt Gen Mayall has not had access to any commercially sensitive information relevant to Greenhill’s business or that of its competitors.

The Secretary of State for Defence has accepted the Committee’s recommendation that there is no reason why Lt Gen Mayall should not take up this post subject to the following conditions:

• He should not draw on privileged information available to him from his time as a Crown Servant; and

• For two years from his last day in service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of Greenhill & Co International or its clients.

Terence Jagger recused himself from this case.

The letter containing the final decision was sent in July 2015 and the appointment was taken up in September 2015.