Guto Harri Alistair Heap

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Communications adviser and storyteller, Guto worked alongside Boris Johnson during his tenure as London Mayor and later as Director of Communications at Number 10. Prior to politics, he worked in corporate communications and journalism. Guto was the BBC’s chief Political Correspondent and was posted to Rome and New York, as well as presenting some of the corporation’s flagship news programmes like Westminster Live, The World at One and PM. In his podcast Unprecedented, Guto offers an insider’s perspective on one of the most tumultuous eras in British politics.


Biography

Guto Harri is a writer, broadcaster, and strategic communications consultant who spent nine months as the Director of Communications for Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street. Having met Boris at University and worked for him when he was Mayor of London, Guto entered Downing Street when the Prime Minister was fighting for his political life. As Director of Communications, he oversaw the response to the police investigation into “partygate”, the Sue Gray inquiry, a vote of no confidence and the implosion of the cabinet which led to the PM’s downfall.  Guto has documented the period in his podcast series Unprecedented.

Guto listened in on the calls between Boris Johnson and President Zelensky, joined the PM on foreign visits and international summits to rally support for Ukraine, helped him end the final covid restrictions and start to grapple with the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis. Guto’s challenge in Number 10 was helped by his overhaul of the reputation of News Corporation in the UK after the phone hacking crisis, and project work on some of the most demanding cases in communications on three continents. He also drew on eighteen years as a senior BBC correspondent covering UK politics and postings to Rome and New York.

Born in Cardiff and initially raised on the campus of a psychiatric hospital (where his father was a consultant psychiatrist) Guto was educated in Welsh-medium state schools before studying PPE at The Queens College, Oxford.  He completed a post-grad in Broadcast Journalism at Cardiff before embarking on his broadcast career.

Guto presented a show on GB News when the channel was first launched but was suspended after taking the knee on live in support of sportsmen opposing racism. 

During the pandemic he volunteered as a vaccinator and delivered jabs to nearly a thousand people. He received the Queen’s Jubilee medal for long term service as a volunteer crew member for the RNLI on the Thames.

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JLA Presents

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Event - - Date TBC

Speakers Breakfast

Racing to High Performance with Guenther Steiner and Paul McKenna

Speakers
Paul McKenna and Guenther Steiner

Date TBC.  We will be looking at high-performance and mindset with our two excellent speakers.

Guenther Steiner is the Former Team Principal of F1’s Haas, a role he held from the team’s inception until this year. Under his leadership, he grew Haas into one of the sport’s leading independent teams.

Joining Guenther on stage will be broadcaster and behavioural scientist Paul Mckenna, who has written a number of bestselling books, and works on how psychology and mindset can impact achievement.

Please register your interest using the link above for what is sure to be a fascinating and illuminating session.

Location

Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QH

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Event - 17/09/2024 - 09:00

Speakers Breakfast

Navigating Risk and Chaos – Strategies For Coping With An Uncertain World.

Speakers
Clive Myrie, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Rt Hon Lord Parker of Minsmere, and Robin Niblett

On Tuesday 17th September we had the pleasure of hearing from a remarkable panel of speakers, who shared their expertise on the challenges of managing Risk in a chaotic world.

The panel featured esteemed speakers, Dr. Sabrina Cohen-Hatton KFSM (Firefigter and Neuroscience researcher), Lord Parker of Minsmere (Andrew Parker, Former Director General of MI5), and Sir Robin Niblett (Former Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House). The event was hosted superbly by Mastermind and BBC News presenter Clive Myrie.

Over the hour, our panellists explored Risk on multiple levels, from global affairs to business environments and personal everyday challenges. They provided valuable insights into how we can better manage and mitigate Risk in today’s unpredictable world.

 

Location

87 Barts Close, 87 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7EB

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