Every week RoF gets twifty thousand press releases on hires and fires. Straight to recycling.
Apart from one this week from Avonhurst.
Avonhurst was set up last year by Jonathan Bloom, a lawyer who escaped the pit of Sarlacc that is Jones Day's London office to set up a boutique, high end finance firm. Offices in St James's, private equity clients, Savile Row suits, all that jazz.
I am told that the firm offers a "political strategy service" and to that end has just made four hires. Sean West, a wonk from ProfeTech (meh), Andrew Dowler, a private equity bore from Blackstone (double meh), Lord Barlow, Theresa's May's Chief of Staff after she fired Timothy West (triple meh - absolutely BANGING job he did, eh?). And Lord Houghton.
Previously known as General Sir Nick Houghton GCB, formerly the UK's Chief of Defence Staff and a four star officer.
Now THAT'S a hire. Every law firm takes on the usual tedes from banks, accountancy firms, academia, etc. etc. It's a statement of intent to employ a man who, when in a tricky completion meeting with Kirkland, makes it known that he could break the neck of his opposite number within five seconds. Get in. I hope he wears his full kit to the office.
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Actually, that is a pretty cool hire.
There’s a real issue of ex servicemen and servicewomen being unable to find decent employment. Who knows, this might change attitudes towards those further down the chain.
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Good hire, but bloody stupid name for a law firm. Like an inferior Ashurst.
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Anonymous, 31 Jan 18:11.
I agree. Bloom and Co has a better ring to it. Not only is the seminal name better and less PR-ish, but it implies growth.
Is there such a place as Avonhurst? If not then, surely that's money wasted on PR consultancy fees. There is also a downward inflection when pronouncing it in British English, so it sounds flat.
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Back in my Ashurst days we referred to it (not so) fondly as Arsehurts
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Hi Inane Commenter - what did they call you (not so fondly) back in your Ashurst days?
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"Political strategist" sounds like a complete non-job. That said, Anon at 16:53 is right - if nothing else, hopefully it will encourage civilian employers to look at hiring ex-service personnel in less lofty positions.
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@ 11:48 an excellent implied appraisal there of the importance placed by almost all financial institutions of scale (particularly large PE funds) on the political implications of capital deployment and the associated booming trade in political advisory / PR firms, which they employ for advice. Well done.
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Will staff members have to salute his car even when he isn't in it, like they would have done when he was a staff officer?
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Good hire with an impressive background- what's he actually been brought in to do for Avonhurst though?