Benedict is Helmsley Energy's founder and Managing Partner. He leads client work in strategy development and policy risk across multiple sectors.

Benedict led the Energy & Environment team at the UK's leading think tank, Policy Exchange, where he still serves as a Senior Fellow.

Benedict previously served 'in house' in the government relations team of the UK's largest energy provider, Centrica PLC, as well as in the public affairs team at the world's largest communications firm. He has advised clients at the national, EU and international levels in sectors including Energy, Resources, FMCG, Manufacturing, Engineering, Entertainment and Media. Previous clients have included National Grid, Centrica Energy, the Renewable Energy Association, Shell, Centrica, Sainsbury’s, Endurance Wind Power and Balfour Beatty.

Charles Hendry was the British Government's Minister of State for Energy from 2010 until 2012, having previously served as Shadow Energy Minister since 2005, developing the Conservative Party's energy agenda.

On leaving Ministerial office, Prime Minister David Cameron appointed him as his Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, a role he continued until leaving Parliament in 2015. He was awarded the CBE in Her Majesty The Queen’s 2019 Birthday Honours for his work supporting British Trade.

On leaving Ministerial office, he was appointed Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh Business School. He is also President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan and President of the British Institute of Energy Economics.

Charles was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he received an Honours Degree in Business Studies. He is a University Regent and also an Honorary Fellow of the Energy Institute.

Rosa Stewart is an energy and climate change policy, regulation and communications expert with experience advising on complex and high-profile issues, projects and campaigns.

Previously, she was Deputy Director for International Climate Strategy at BEIS where she developed a wide range of energy and climate change policy, including the UK-Canada-led Powering Past Coal Alliance. She then headed External Relations at the energy supplier SSE (part of OVO Group).

She is currently a Founder of a decarbonisation related start-up at the Founders Factory and a Non-Executive Director at the Retail Energy Code Company with responsibilities for policy, regulation and Net Zero related matters. She is also a Board Member at the Conservative Environment Network.

Mark Cliffe provides Helmsley’s clients with senior counsel at Board and C-Suite level, as well as providing economic analysis and thought leadership on ESG and sustainable finance. Mark is well known for his distinctive insights on disruptive change in economics and policy, environment and climate, society and politics, and technology and consumer behaviour. He has long been prominent in the global media.

Mark served as Group Chief Economist and Head of Research at ING Group from 2006 to 2020, having previously led its financial markets research team. He led ING’s global team of 80 client-facing analysts covering macro-economics, market forecasting and scenario planning across multiple international markets. He then went on to found the bank’s New Horizons Hub in London and Amsterdam, providing strategic advice to ING and its clients on thought leadership and ESG.

Before joining ING in 1998, Mark was Chief International Economist at HSBC, and before that was Chief Economist at ANZ Merchant Bank and Nomura respectively.

Nick is a sustainability and purpose communications specialist, acting as a partner for Helmsley on projects to catalyse climate action.

Nick’s focus is on implementing insight-led communications strategies that help brands to rally the support of stakeholders, including customers, investors and employees, in order to implement net zero. Nick works with brands across a range of sectors, including energy, technology and FMCG. Current projects include leading communications for the Net Zero Tracker, a consortium dedicated to tracking the pledges of all governments and corporates to encourage genuine climate ambition and net zero governance.

Previously, Nick led the UK clean tech practice at PR firm Edelman, working with energy technology brands, such as GE, corporates such as Unilever, and innovation partnership, Climate-KIC.

Nick cut his teeth in sustainability working in the communications team at the Carbon Trust, where he managed communications for the Trust’s certification schemes, as well as green finance and advisory services.

Sarah leads Helmsley's events and conferences, supporting our clients' convening power through development of thought leadership platforms, conferences, roundtables, launches and networking events.

Sarah is also Managing Director at the Golborne Collection, an events and marketing company. Prior to Golborne she was the Founding Managing Director of Story Events and Venue Search London. She was previously Managing Director of Mask, part of the Concerto Group.