Nigel Lake, co-founder and Executive Chair of Pottinger, reflects on more than two decades building an independent global advisory business that works with major companies, governments, and industry bodies. Pottinger remains a relatively small firm, and Nigel explains that unlike many businesses, scale was never their primary focus.
Nigel describes the discipline behind Pottinger's work: bringing strategy and investment banking together so that every strategic question comes with a complete financial understanding, and every transaction serves a purpose beyond simply getting the deal done. With this financial discipline as a backdrop, he makes the case for a resolute focus on the long term in a world full of short-term noise. While the next quarter is hard to predict, the direction technology will take is often knowable years in advance if leaders are willing to look.
The conversation also explores why Pottinger shifted towards emerging industries such as the energy transition, the difference between governments backing a winning company and backing a winning technology, Nigel's reservations about the gap between AI's persuasiveness and its truthfulness, and why he believes business leaders have a responsibility to engage with public policy and the systems they help shape.
Many thanks to R. Paul Herman for suggesting this conversation!
Check out the Pottinger website.
Supported by Norman Broadbent.
Nigel Lake
