Dominic Raab, the former foreign secretary and deputy prime minister, has been appointed to a senior role at a Pall Mall private equity shop.
Appian Capital Advisory, the investment advisor which serves funds exclusively invested in mining or mining firms, has appointed Raab as a senior strategic advisor on global affairs.
He will chair a new partnership between Appian and SAFE, a US-based mineral supply chain think-tank, which will “leverage Appian’s leading global expertise in green commodities investment.”
SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy is a DC-based operation which advises the US government on mineral supply chains, amid ongoing geopolitical tension over the world’s most critical materials,
Appian has invested in and brought nine mines into production over the last six years.
Raab announced he would be leaving parliament at the next election, having originally won his Esher seat back in 2010.
Raab said this morning “I am excited to join the dynamic team at Appian to further the company’s strategic objectives in critical minerals. I look forward to helping Appian expand international partnerships between investors and governments, so we can better navigate the geopolitical risks and secure the supply chains our economies need for the twenty-first century.
“The SAFE-Appian partnership will bring in private sector investors with the expertise and track record to reinforce the supply chain resilience of the US and her allies.”
The future supply of minerals – required for operation of everything from smart phones to electric vehicles – is considered one of the key geopolitical challenges of the 21st century.
Global powers including the US and China are attempting to secure sustainable, ideally green, supplies into the future that leave them less reliant on other countries.
Raab oversaw Project Defend whilst in government, which was focussed on identifying key economic vulnerabilities in UK supply chains.
ACOBA, the body which signs off ex-ministers’ appointments, expressed no concern over Raab’s new role.