Andrew "Andy" Whiteside

Andrew "Andy" Whiteside is Strategic Advisor to Wildcat Equity Partners. Prior to establishing his advisory firm, he served in various senior roles in the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office from 1991 until 2023. During that time he served in UK missions in Saudi Arabia, Italy, Hungary, Libya and Iraq. His responsibilities covered the full range of foreign policy challenges: countering state, terrorist and criminal threats; conflict resolution; defence cooperation; enhancing bilateral relations; and improving regional stability. He worked for many years at the heart of major inter-departmental transformation and technology programmes in UK government. He built and led large teams successfully, often drawing members from different departments or different professional specialisms, or facing pressures of operating in sensitive or high threat environments. He has a strong track record of convening and directing multinational groups to deliver strategic outcomes, exploiting his keen cultural awareness and sensitivity.

His current advisory portfolio includes early stage technology companies many of national security relevance; highly complex international development projects; and research into state threats.

Before entering the civil service he studied Physics at Oxford University. He continues to deploy his rigorous scientific approach to his current projects, and maintains his curiosity regarding technology. He is a trained business coach, a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and holds a Post Graduate Qualification in Organisational Change.