Charles Lewington

Charles Lewington founded Hanover in 1998 on the back of a high-profile career in Downing Street and political journalism. He was Press Secretary to John Major in the 1990s, handling some of the biggest political issues of the decade. Prior to that, he held senior management positions on a number of national newspapers, including the Sunday and Daily Express. Charles provides strategic counsel to CEOs and senior communications executives at many of Hanover’s corporate and public affairs clients, including Microsoft, Sky, Tata Steel, Airbus and Goldman Sachs. He has particular expertise in integrated media and political campaigns, crisis management and litigation support and is an experienced business advisor, taking non-executive director roles in FMCG businesses. Under his direction, Hanover Group grew from a staff of one to a team of 200 consultants, based in London, Brussels, Dublin and the Middle East. Hanover received the PRovoke Global Agency of the Decade award in 2020 and is one of Europe’s fastest growing independent consultancies. Charles was awarded the OBE in 1997 for political services and is a regular broadcaster on the BBC, ITV and Sky News and commentator on FT.com, Conservative Home and the Huffington Post. In 2023, Charles received a SABRE Individual Achievement award for his outstanding and lasting impact on the public relations and communications industry, and features on The Spear’s Reputation Managers Index.