Varun Chandra, the managing partner of Hakluyt since 2019, is reportedly in advanced talks to become a government official, according to news reports.
On Tuesday, sources said that he is anticipated to take over Lord Petitgas, a former Morgan Stanley banker, from his position as a key business liaison in Rishi Sunak’s administration at 10 Downing Street.
Privately held Hakluyt specializes in business intelligence for clients, a growingly profitable field given the complex geopolitical landscape that global corporations must navigate.
On Tuesday, labor officials issued a warning, saying that Mr. Chandra’s position was still being finalized.
Though Lord Johnson held the position during the previous administration, he might still accept a different position. For example, he might become minister of investments.
It was uncertain whether the Downing Street business liaison job would entail peerage, whereas the latter would.
Lord Hague, the former foreign secretary and head of the Tory party, chairs Hakluyt’s worldwide advisory board. The company also employs Olly Robbins, a former key Brexit negotiator for Theresa May.
ministerSimilar to Lord Petitgas, Mr. Chandra was a former banker at Lehman Brothers who later founded the regulated commercial activities of the late prime leader Tony Blair.
