About

The Full Story

For 40 plus years Douglas McWilliams has commented on World and National economic events.  First as Chief Economist at IBM and then Chief Economic Adviser to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI),  In 1992 he won The Sunday Times Golden Guru Award for best UK economic forecaster.  In the same year he founded the Centre for Business and Economic Research (CEBR) which is now one of the UK's foremost economic consultancies.  He was Gresham College Professor of Commerce in 2012-14

Douglas's book The Flat White Economy (2015) details the digital sector, which he saw as driving the British economy, and rose to first position in the Amazon Business and Law Best Seller List. Driving the Silk Road (2020) is about his experience of driving a classic Bentley S1 on the Peking to Paris Endurance Rally of 2019 and his perceptions of economic conditions in the countries of Asia and Europe he drove through.

Until recently Douglas co-Chaired The Growth Commission

In November 2024 Douglas exited CEBR and now lives in Tenterden, Kent.

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Neil McClure qualified as a Chartered Accountant in London with Coopers and Lybrand (PWC) and after qualification moved into Corporate Finance with brokers Phillips & Drew (UBS).  At P&D Neil was responsible for advising companies on capital fundraisings and IPO's, including the IPO of the Michael Page recruitment group and several fundraisings for advertising group Saatchi & Saatchi.

Neil joined Saatchi's in 1985 where he was responsible for UK and International M&A and corporate finance where he worked closely with Maurice (Lord) Saatchi and Sir Martin Sorrell.  After Saatchi's Neil held senior Finance and CEO positions with a number of public companies in the advertising and marketing industry

Neil was Chairman of Swansea City Football Club and floated the first residential property internet site, Property Internet plc at the height of the Dotcom market in the late 1990's

For the last 25 years Neil has consulted widely and held a number of public and private company Executive and Non Executive directorships

Neil moved down to Kent 10 years ago 

Neil and Douglas have known each other for over 30 years.