MAP’s core team is based in London. We work with a global network of Associates and Partners.

George Middleton, Director

George specialises in international trade and supply chains, particularly on matters of resilience, sustainability and growth.  He has extensive experience in private, public and not-for profit sectors, in the UK and internationally.

Since 2019, George has engaged privately with companies and governments across a range of Critical National Infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. He set up MAP in 2021.

George previously worked for the UK government (2012-19), largely overseas, including roles as Deputy Trade Commissioner, Operations Director, Country Director and Business Specialist for the Department for International Trade (now DBT) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (now FCDO).

He has also worked on major infrastructure and regeneration programmes, for the for the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority (2008-11) and Tribal Group (later Capita) plc (2005-08).

George is an Associate Programme Director at the FCDO executive agency’s Wilton Park (2022-). He was a member of the UK Department for Business and Trade’s Trade Advisory Groups (2021-2023).  He was trained in global leadership by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2015-16), and holds qualifications in project management (Prince2), business and technology (BSc).  He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

Beata Stepantchenko, Manager, Sustainable Trade and Government

Beata specialises in providing regulatory advice and developing sustainability policy and impact, in the UK and internationally. She is skilled at operating between businesses, investors and governments.

Since joining MAP in 2024, Beata has focused on strengthening the resilience, sustainability and growth of clients, centring on international trade and supply chains. 

Beata previously worked at Global Counsel, a political and strategic advisory firm (2021-24), to provide political and regulatory due diligence support and sustainability advice. She worked with clients ranging from private equity investors, financial institutions, corporates, to the public sector, in the UK, EU and US. This included her creating and leading a human rights due diligence offer, helping the private sector proactively manage and mitigate adverse human rights risks across their value chains.

Beata began her career working with investment banks, including Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs (2018-20), operating within trade support teams. She then moved into a research analyst role at Legatum Institute (2020-21), where she assessed the impact of the UK government’s ‘levelling-up agenda’. She completed a human rights due diligence course (2022) which, complementing her Master’s in Human Rights from the London School of Economics (2017-18), has deepened her understanding of ethics in government, the UK economy and international trade. 

Ellie Catherall, Analyst

Ellie works across MAP priority areas including Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), Environmental & Social Value (ESV), supply chains and international trade. 

Before joining MAP, Ellie worked at Wilton Park, an executive agency of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) providing policy support for international policy dialogues. She also has experience in the charity sector in areas such as global health and humanitarian response. 

Ellie is a member of the Youth Democracy Cohort’s Young Researchers’ Network, a global network of researchers studying youth participation in politics. 

After studying abroad in Chile between 2018 and 2019, she completed an MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies at the London School of Economics (LSE) from 2021 to 2022, in which her interest in the relationship between CNI, ESV and development is grounded. 

Yasmin Lee Stremel Barros, Executive Analyst

Yasmin works on sustainable socio-economic development, with a particular focus on the Southern Hemisphere.

Yasmin re-joined MAP in 2024 as an Analyst, where she supports MAP’s work to strengthen the growth, resilience, and sustainability of clients. This includes work on market research, regulatory compliance and sustainable trade opportunities.

Her wider experience includes the UK public sector, where she assisted the UK’s Trade Envoy to Brazil throughout 2023.

Yasmin completed a Master’s degree in International Political Economy at King’s College London (2023-2024), which deepened her understanding of international trade, and the economies of Brazil and the UK specifically. Additionally, she collaborated as an organiser of the 2024 Brazil Forum UK, further extending her skills and networks.

Yasmin first worked for MAP in 2022 as an intern, while pursuing her undergraduate degree in Politics at Queen Mary University of London (2020-2023). During her internship, she contributed to MAP’s work for a global bank as well as trade relationships in a number of international markets, including in Europe, South America and the USA.

Daniella Graham Stollery, Associate, Strategic Communications

Daniella specialises in insight-led strategic communications, research and stakeholder engagement across business, government and the non-profit sector. She is skilled at bridging organisational goals with audience needs to strengthen impact and influence and has over 15 years’ experience. Daniella’s prior roles include Strategy Director at MSL (2023–24), Senior Strategist at Hanover Communications (2021–23), as well as strategic roles at Public Health England, Mischief/MHP Group and the UK government’s Department for International Trade. 

She began her career in journalism at Metro.co.uk and holds an MSc from UCL in Environment, Politics and Society, reflecting her passion for sustainability and supporting climate change solutions.

Daniella is experienced in data and insight-driven media and communications strategy, measurement and evaluation. She prides herself on combining academic rigour with creative-led communications to deliver work with meaningful impact.

Daniella is Market Research Society certified.

Professor Edward Sweeney, Adviser

Ed Sweeney (BA, BAI, MPhil, PhD, SFHEA, FCILT, FCMI, FInstLM, FRSA) is Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Edinburgh Business School in Heriot-Watt University. He was appointed Deputy Executive Dean in Heriot-Watt's School of Social Sciences in early 2023. Ed has previously held academic positions at Aston University and the University of Warwick. His research has been widely published and he sits on the Editorial Boards of several leading international academic journals.

Ed was a Director at the National Institute for Transport and Logistics (NILT) in Dublin from 1998 to 2014 and engaged actively with businesses in Ireland and beyond during that period. He has worked extensively in the logistics, automotive, food & beverage and life sciences sectors over the years. This work has taken him to over 50 countries and fostered a keen interest in international economic and political issues.

Ed’s current focus is on the development of resilient supply chains that are both financially and environmentally sustainable.

Professor Aris Matopoulos, Adviser

Aristides (Aris) Matopoulos (BSc, DIC, MSc, PgCert, PhD, SFHEA, FCILT) is Professor of Supply Chain Design and Director of the Agile Supply Chain Research Club at Cranfield University. Before joining Cranfield, Aris held several senior roles at Aston University’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, including Head of the Department of Engineering Systems and Supply Chain Management and Director of the Aston Logistics and Systems Institute. He is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (UK), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK), and a Member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (US).

In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Royal Society Short Industry Fellowship, collaborating with Williams Advanced Engineering to develop advanced supplier assessment capabilities. 

Aris’s research focuses on the implementation of Design for Supply Chain and Logistics principles, particularly the influence of supply chain design on resource efficiency and resilience, and the alignment of technology development with manufacturing and supply chain capabilities. His innovative contributions—including the development of the Supply Chain Readiness Levels (SCRL) tool—have enabled him to translate complex supply chain challenges into actionable strategic solutions, supporting more than 100 companies across sectors.

He maintains a strong international profile as a supply chain thought leader, serving as Chair, invited speaker, expert panellist, and committee member at major industry conferences. He also contributes to policy debates on supply chain resilience and innovation. Aris has acted as an external evaluator for several organisations, including the European Commission, the French National Research Agency, and the Government of Canada’s Excellence Research Chairs programme.

His research has been widely published in leading logistics and supply chain management journals, covering key sectors and themes such as advanced engineering and manufacturing (automotive, aerospace, defence), sustainable and carbon-efficient supply chains, future supply chain trends and scenarios, and humanitarian logistics.