Hamish McFall - Chairman Amico Group PLC

Hamish was educated at Eton College; the University of York, where he gained an Honours Degree in Philosophy and English; and the RMA Sandhurst.  During his gap year he worked at the Conservative Research Department (CRD), then run by Chris Patten (who was subsequently the last Governor of Hong Kong and is now Chancellor of the University of Oxford).  In the 1979 General Election, Hamish was special adviser to Lord Soames (who became Lord Privy Seal and later the last Governor of Rhodesia).  At University Hamish was elected President of his college JCR in his first term, founded the University Industrial Society and was Chairman of the University Committee.

He was promoted to the rank of Captain soon after joining his regiment, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) and in addition to his responsibilities as a sabre squadron second-in-command was Mess Secretary and Vice-President of the chart topping Regimental Pipes and Drums.

He left the Army having been recruited by Kleinwort Benson, the merchant bank, to join their Graduate training scheme.  At Kleinworts he specialised in commercial banking and had particular responsibility for the bank’s lending to French multinationals such as Gaz de France, Peugeot, Renault and Sacilor as well as supra-nationals such as the European Space Agency.

He moved from banking into financial public relations in 1986.  During his sixteen years in public relations he built on his expertise in financial services by advising banks including Allied Irish Bank, Lehman Brothers and N M Rothschild & Sons; stockbrokers and fund managers such as Brewin Dolphin, Cazenove and Rathbone Brothers; and insurance companies including General Accident, Lloyds Abbey Life and Willis.  During his last nine years in financial public relations he worked for Tavistock Communications where he was a Director.

Hamish stood as the parliamentary candidate for Salford East in the 1987 General Election. From 1994 to 1998 he served as a councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth and was Deputy Chairman of the Education Committee.  For the duration of the 1992 General Election he was seconded to Conservative Central Office and worked with the then head of the political section of CRD, David Cameron, advising the party chairman and the Prime Minister, John Major, on media relations and strategy.

In 2003 he co-founded Amico Group PLC with James Donald-Adkin and as Chairman has spear-headed the successful development of the Group both in the UK and internationally.  

He is also a Director of Hilton Head plc, an ICT consultancy business whose shares are quoted on the PLUS market, and is Chairman of a management consultancy which specialises is helping start-up businesses develop their business plans and secure capital backing.  His main interest outside work is his family and his principal recreations are gardening, golf and shooting.