Peter Smyth

External Affairs Director
Talk to Peter about
  • Insight-led external affairs strategy
  • Stakeholder engagement and buy-in
  • Reputation, trust and consent in complex environments
  • Influencing outcomes across policy, regulation and scrutiny

     

Office

Edinburgh

Connect

Peter is External Affairs Director, working with leaders to cut through complexity and shape clear, effective external strategies. He brings together stakeholder insight, strategic communications and senior-level engagement to help organisations navigate their political and regulatory context, build buy-in and deliver impact when it matters most.

Prior to joining Aspect, he was Director of Public Affairs at strategic communications company, Indigo, advising clients and shaping campaigns across technology, decarbonisation, life sciences, higher education and the third sector.

He holds degrees from the University of St Andrews and the London School of Economics, and specialises in transparent, outcome-driven public affairs strategies.

Behind the bio


Coffee order (no judgement)

Strong hit of DIY home-brew first thing, just a splash of milk. Bliss. Nothing else matters.

Guilty pleasure TV show

Antiques Roadshow. Full of interesting stories well told from nice places. Even my kids (kind of, maybe...if bribed) agree when they stop to pay attention.

Alternate universe career

Mountaineer. I’m sure I’ll never actually free solo a Himalaya but I hugely admire people who do.

Biggest irrational fear

Snakes. St Patrick famously chased them from Ireland where I grew up, so irrational is the word. Terrifying.

Insights from Peter

Read the latest insights and articles from Peter.

July 7, 2025

Scotland’s decarbonisation cluster has a new momentum behind it. The project aims to be competitive and investable with a genuine value proposition.

August 6, 2026

Andy Burnham has been Prime Minister for two weeks. Before he arrived, and in the days just after, we invited 45 senior UK energy leaders - CEOs, Chairs and C-suite executives from across the energy system - what his energy priorities should be. What they told us isn't the answer the public debate would predict.