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, sustainable supply chains and the interface between government and business. 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 sectors. He set-up MAP in 2021.

George began working with international business and government in 2011, on moving to Rio de Janeiro to manage UK’s major events handover, from London 2012 to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This position with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, was followed by Country Deputy Director (2014-16), Deputy Trade Commissioner / Operations Director for Latin America & the Caribbean (2016-18), and Specialist (2018-19) roles with the UK’s Department for International Trade.

Before his seven years in Brazil, George managed Community Relations and Projects for the Olympic Delivery Authority (2008-11), which was responsible for the £9 billion build of venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games. Prior to that he was as a Project Management Consultant on infrastructure and regeneration programmes in and around London for Tribal Group (later Capita) plc (2005-08).

George 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 has twice served as a Trustee, for Tribal Foundation and The Docklands Settlements. 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 informatics 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, Brazil COP 30 Contributor

Yasmin works on sustainable socio-economic development, with a particular focus on Brazil and Latin America.

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 between the UK and Brazil.

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.

Professor Edward Sweeney, Advisor

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 Christopher Bovis, Advisor

Chris Bovis (JD, MPhil, LLM, FRSA) is the H.K. Bevan Chair in Law and Professor of European Business Law at the University of Hull, as well as Managing Editor of the European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review. He is an internationally recognised authority on EU public procurement and public-private partnerships, and his work has shaped significant legislative and policy frameworks, notably contributing to the UK’s Social Value Act, the European Public Services Directive, and the formulation of Section 106 in the UK.

He has been instrumental in shifting procurement practices away from a narrow focus on cost, towards an approach that integrates socio-economic factors, advising public bodies on how best to embed Social Value in infrastructure projects. Through extensive collaboration with governments and industry, Chris has provided evidence to House of Commons select committees, offering strategic insights into procurement, rail infrastructure, and public service delivery.

A highly published author whose writing is translated into multiple languages, Chris continues to guide policymakers across the UK and EU, underscoring procurement’s potential to deliver value for money and meaningful public benefit.