Rob Blackhurst
Associate
rob.blackhurst@saffronchase.com

Rob Blackhurst is a communications consultant for Saffron Chase, as well as a journalist.  He has written for numerous publications including the International Herald Tribune, the New Statesman, The Observer, and British Journalism Review, and has contributed leader columns to the Independent and Independent on Sunday. 

Rob writes regularly for the Financial Times and has provided communications support for organisations including the New York based Center on International Cooperation, the Barrow Cadbury Trust, Bertelsmann Siftung think tank and the European Council on Foreign Relations.  From 2000-2005, Rob was Editorial & Communications Director at the Foreign Policy Centre.  Prior to this, he was a press officer in the Cabinet Office, DTI & Foreign Office. 

Dan Fox 
Associate
dan.fox@saffronchase.com

Dan Fox has over ten years political and communications experience, both UK and international, working on campaigning and policy development with government departments, blue-chip corporations and NGOs. After interning in the office of Tony Blair in the lead up to the 1997 General Election, Dan worked for a Soho-based consultancy which, led to a two year period in the Brussels office of a global PR company, Fleishman Hillard.

He returned to London on a secondment to 3i and has since worked for the Engineering & Technology Board and was the Director of Labour Friends of Israel before joining Saffron Chase as a consultant in 2007. Dan supports clients in a wide range of public affairs activities including contact identification, political intelligence, stakeholder events, speechwriting and consultations.

Throughout his career, Dan has covered a variety of clients and sectors including ABTA, Housebuilders Federation, Scottish Power, Ford, Rio Tinto, Boeing, British Music Rights, Glaxo Smithkline, Centrica, International Platinum Association, King of Shaves, Royal Institute of Town Planners, Seafish, Schoolwear Association, and the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Children's Fund.

Currently, Lance Corporal Fox is on military duty in Afghanistan as part of his involvement with the Territorial Army.

Jessica Luxembourg
Associate
jessica.luxembourg@saffronchase.com

Jessica Luxembourg is highly skilled in PR and communications, both through her experience working on international client accounts for a trans-Atlantic PR and global communications agency and for multi-national law firms, and through her strong track record as a journalist. She is particularly experienced in covering the biotechnology, corporate (including corporate responsibility), education and public sector, EU and regulatory, legal, pharmaceutical, professional services and TMT areas.

She is also highly experienced in researching the international capital markets and in covering corporate developments in the Asia Pacific and EMEA regions. She has native standard French, solid experience working with US-based clients, and superb written and oral communications skills.

Manoj Ladwa
Director
manoj.ladwa@saffronchase.com

Manoj Ladwa is a co-founder and Director of Saffron Chase. He is a recognised expert on foreign direct investments in India. He is an accomplished media commentator and is frequently invited to speak at conferences and seminars. Manoj has authored over 100 articles and publications on related subjects.

Manoj is also a transactional lawyer and advises clients on their strategies. Following stints in Mumbai and New York, Manoj returned to London to establish MLS Chase LLP, a leading law firm associated with Saffron Chase.

In 2003, he established the London office of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce, and served as its head for three years. Manoj served on various trade promotion committees, including those of UK Trade & Investment and the London Chamber of Commerce.

Manoj is a graduate of the London School of Economics. He is dual qualified as an English solicitor and Indian advocate.

Sukhwinder Parmar
Head of Events & Conferences
sukhwinder.parmar@saffronchase.com

Sukhwinder Parmar has worked in the events & marketing team since joining Saffron Chase in 2004. As Head of Events and Marketing, she is responsible for producing and overseeing a series of specialised corporate conferences, events, and private briefings.    

The events team works closely with PR, and organises numerous key events throughout the year.  Her team’s successes include corporate hospitality shows with leading Bollywood actor, Shah-Rukh Khan, product launches for leading financial services companies across UK & Europe, gala dinners with high profile guests like Tony Blair & Gordon Brown and CEOs like Lakshmi Mittal & Karan Bilimoria, all the way through to intimate private briefings.

From 2004-2006, Sukhwinder managed all marketing activities and projects for the London Office of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. 

Deepti Patel
Office Manager & Executive Assistant
deepti.patel@saffronchase.com

Deepti Patel manages the administrative aspects of Saffron Chase. A graduate of Aston University, Birmingham, Deepti also coordinates all marketing and promotional activities of Saffron Chase, including our online brand presence and new projects.

Narendra J. Patel
Head of Finance
njp@saffronchase.com

Narendra Patel is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. He qualified in 1980 and established his own general practice in 1984. He has wide sectoral experience and advises a range of companies on their financial strategy.

Vikas Pota
Managing Director
vikas.pota@saffronchase.com

Vikas Pota is the Managing Director of Saffron Chase, a leading government relations & PR consultancy, and is the author of ‘India Inc: How India’s Top Ten Entrepreneurs Are Winning Globally‘. He is often asked to provide his commentary and insight into Indian business and political matters to the media. He writes a blog on globalization and India, and appears regularly on CNN, BBC News 24, BBC World TV and Al-Jazeera. He has commented in the Financial Times, the Guardian, the Observer, and The Independent on Sunday on issues ranging from the contentious subject of off-shoring and outsourcing, the impact of the Indian Elections on economic reforms, to terrorist attacks such as those experienced in Mumbai in 2008.

In his book ‘India Inc: How India’s Top Ten Entrepreneurs Are Winning Globally‘, Vikas narrates the phenomenal journey’s of ten Indian entrepreneurs, many of whom have gone from being garage start ups to achieving stunning global success in their lifetimes. Through his book, he provides examples of how Indian entrepreneurs are taking on and beating their global competitors in their own back yards and argues that Indian sensibilities will increasingly shape business debates around the world.

He has advised some of the world’s leading firms that have invested billions of dollars in India. In addition to briefing CEOs, Ministers, Parliamentarians, and senior journalists on breaking developments in South Asia, he has taken part in discussions; authored submissions to influential Parliamentary Select Committees, and has delivered speeches to think tanks and the Trades Union Congress on critical subjects like the off-shoring and the globalisation of services.

Saffron Chase has been described as displaying “excellence in every aspect of what they do” by TATA Director S.A Hasan. Through Saffron Chase, Pota launched the India Briefing Centre in 2008 to provide the first bespoke training courses for firms needing an in-depth understanding of the Indian political, economic, and cultural climate. He followed this up by establishing the first UK-India Public Affairs company, Chase India.

Jill Richmond
Business Development Manager
jill.richmond@saffronchase.com

Jill Richmond is the head of Business Development at Saffron Chase. Prior to joining Jill served as the Senior Business Development Manager with the Industry and Parliament Trust.

Jill brings a wealth of experience from both the developed and developing world having led World Bank Institute (WBI) missions to Tanzania and Kenya to deliver workshops on how parliaments can combat corruption as well as act as a parliamentary monitor for NGOs in South Africa.

Born in the US, Richmond also brings significant experience of Capitol Hill, as a former policy representative of Senator Frank R Lautenberg, and significant campaigning knowledge, having developed a successful strategy for increasing voter registration and turnout in South Dakota for a pivotal Senate race.

Jill holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers College and MSc. in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Pallab Sarker
Head of Communications
pallab.sarker@saffronchase.com

Pallab Sarker is Head of Communications at Saffron Chase.  Prior to joining Saffron Chase, Pallab served as the Senior Press Officer for Lord Digby Jones, International Trade Minister. During his time in the civil service, Pallab served seven high profile Ministers across several Government departments and spearheaded the media handling for many leading government initiatives. These include the transport strategy for the London 2012 Olympics bid process; the renewable energy strategy including the opening of the UK’s first set of wind farms and solar powered buildings and the UK’s Creative industries strategy.

Pallab has a specialist understanding of international media having organised high profile Ministerial media visits and events in South America, Europe and Asia. He also served as the UK Trade & Investment Press Officer for HRH. Prince Andrew, The Duke of York .

Prior to this, Pallab worked for NBC News in London.