Jeff Townsend is an established and extremely competent senior political consultant, who irrespective of global geography or regulatory challenge, has consistently delivered outstanding results for both UK and international clients across an exceptionally broad range of industries.

A former Conservative Party candidate for Sunderland Central, Jeff is the executive chairman of the board of directors of Critical Minerals Association, a company that works across supply chains to provide a platform for industry to come together and speak to government with a collective voice. His intricate knowledge of UK Parliament, its systems, and mechanisms, combined with his established network of high-level contacts (many of which are personal friends) consistently ensured he was able to meet complex and challenging regulatory and political objectives on behalf of clients, countries, and governments.

Jeff was previously the UK Director for Aspect Consulting, where he built a robust political advisory capacity in Britain and across Europe, strengthening international partnerships and co-creating a new business advisory unit. He was instrumental in initiating and arranging a pivotal meeting in Parliament to discuss the role of mining and socio-economic development. His contacts in the House of Lords and with appropriate All-Party Parliamentary Groups and with interested civil society organizations resulted in what should be the start of a valuable on-going dialogue.

Prior to Aspect Consulting, Jeff was director of Global Development Partnerships, an organization he started to help business and charities work together to address corporate social responsibility and find cooperative solutions to international development objectives.

Apart from UK and EU politics and policy, Jeff also has significant expertise both in the extractives sector (leading the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Mining and heading up the firm's Extractives Industry Platform) and in the MENA region (where he's contributed to projects from the Maghreb all the way to the Gulf). Jeff holds a BA (Hons) and an MA in International Relations from the University of Birmingham. He joined RHI in 2022 and will assist the organization with strategic counsel and political engagement support.