Pole Star Strategy

From Powerbase
Jump to: navigation, search
Revolving Door.jpg This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch.



Pole Star Strategy is a Defence consultancy company set up by Bernard Gray in December 2015. Gray is a former chief of defence materiel in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the Labour Party.

The company claims to be :

'providing senior management advice to private sector organisations and foreign friendly governments in matters such as corporate direction and strategy, negotiating skills, corporate transformation, financial reconstruction and capital change, business recovery and turnaround skills.'[1]

Commissions

MoD

It was awarded a contract by the Ministry of Defence to carry out a review into the state of the procurement landscape. ACOBA was not approached for advice about this and subsequently 'was unwilling to give retrospective approval for the establishment of Pole Star Strategy or [Gray's] subsequent appointment with MoD'. [1]

McKinsey & Company and Immediate Media

In late 2016, Gray asked for ACOBA's approval regarding his commissions - two with McKinsey & Company and one with Immediate Media - through his company. [2] The Committee approved of all the commissions, with these conditions:

  • 'A waiting period of nine-months from your last day of Crown service;
  • For two years from your last day in service you should not work for McKinsey & Company in the UK Defence market;
  • For two years from your last day of service you should not provide advice to McKinsey & Company or its clients on the terms of a bid or contract relating directly to the work of the Ministry of Defence;
  • You should not draw on any privileged information available to you from your time in Crown service; and
  • For two years from your last day in service, you should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of the organisations to which this advice refers or their subsidiaries or clients.' [1] [3]

Address

PO Box HP1 1FW, Unit 8 Plaza Suite Kd Tower,
Cotterells, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire,
United Kingdom, HP1 1FW [4]

Staff

Directors:

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Approval letter: Sir Bernard Gray, commission with McKinsey & Company, UK Government, November 2016. Accessed 07 December 2016.
  2. Summary of business appointments applications - Sir Bernard Gray, UK Government, November 2016,Accessed 07 December 2016.
  3. Approval letter 2: Sir Bernard Gray, commission with McKinsey & Company, UK Government, November 2016. Accessed 07 December 2016.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Pole Star Strategy Limited: profile, Endole, accessed 07 December 2016.