Dr Tim Hames is a former Lecturer in American and British Politics at Oxford University and an ex-Assistant Editor of The Times who then served as Director General of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) from 2013-2019. He is a specialist in the relationship between business and politics. He is also now a best-selling author (The Long Shot: The Inside Story of the Race to Vaccinate Britain written with Dame Kate Bingham), and a consultant and senior adviser to institutions across a variety of spheres, but with a particular emphasis on the private equity and venture capital sectors. He is the co-founder of Acuti Associates, which specialises in advising on domestic and international political risk. Tim’s focus is on the UK, the US and China.