St. Michael Advisory’s co-founders - Steph Driver and Paul Ovenden - have two decades of experience at the top of British politics and media, advising the most senior politicians in the country, delivering winning campaigns and helping investors and CEOs make decisions that matter.

As key members of the small team that delivered one of the biggest turnarounds in British political history by taking the Labour Party from the doldrums and into government, we know that results are what really matters. We bring together our experience in strategy, messaging, media and insight to help you grow, develop and win.

Steph Driver

Steph was the UK Government Director of Communications and served as one of Keir Starmer’s most trusted aides for half a decade, before co-founding St. Michael.

After eight years working for senior MPs and at Labour HQ, Steph left for the private sector to work in B2B corporate comms for an agency, before establishing her own successful PR consultancy business.

Returning to the Labour Party at Keir Starmer’s request, Steph was appointed the then leader of the Opposition’s personal communications chief. She was instrumental in the party's modernisation and played a leading role in delivering the messaging for the historic 2024 general election victory.

Following the election, Steph was appointed Number 10 Downing Street Deputy Director of Communications, before being promoted to Director of Communications. Having served what she calls 'a stint', Steph stepped down in September 2025. Alongside advising business on communications, Steph chairs The Social Value Commission, a research driven business group, and sits on the board of The Young Women's Trust.

Paul Ovenden

Before co-founding St. Michael, Paul served as the government’s Director of Political Strategy at 10 Downing Street

He began his career in journalism before moving into communications, working for the Labour Party’s press team and then the private sector, where he specialised in counter-extremism campaigns.

He returned to the Labour Party on request after Keir Starmer was elected leader, serving as Deputy Director of Communications, writing speeches and articles, leading on Prime Minister’s Questions and debates, and advising the shadow cabinet. He later established the party’s renowned Attack and Rebuttal team which was deployed to great effect during the 2024 general election campaign.

Labour's victory saw Paul appointed as the Prime Minister's Director of Strategy. After six years at Keir Starmer's side, Paul left government in Autumn 2025 and now advises business on navigating political change. Paul writes regularly for The Times and works with Policy Exchange, the UK’s leading think tank.

Katherine Diggory

Katherine Diggory is a corporate marketing, communications, and campaigns strategist based in Munich, Germany.

Katherine began her career in UK politics, working first for a political consultancy before moving into campaign roles for Members of Parliament. She went on to serve as Head of Frontbench Communications for the UK Labour Party, where she led messaging and media strategy at the national level.

Stepping out of politics, Katherine moved to Munich, and entered the fast-paced world of supporting British business to enter the German market. Spanning 13 years, Katherine has subsequently worked with a broad range of international business, including ProSiebenSat.1, Google, BMW and OSRAM, developing and delivering communication strategies across corporate and consumer contexts.

Alongside her commercial work, she also advises and trains organisations in the non-profit and international sector, including the Council of Europe, the National Democratic Institute and the European Women’s Lobby.

Daniel Wild

Daniel leads St. Michael’s work helping businesses and leaders to anticipate change, sharpen their strategy and tell compelling stories.

Before joining St. Michael, Daniel advised large businesses and financial institutions on the changing investment landscape, with a particular focus on UK infrastructure. He helped senior leaders understand the political and economic forces shaping their operating environment and turn that insight into effective corporate strategy, positioning and communications.

Daniel previously worked as an adviser to the Conservative Party, playing a leading role in general election and party leadership campaigns across England and Scotland. His experience includes developing campaign strategy, shaping messages and helping senior figures communicate clearly. Alongside engaging with government, Daniel heads up opposition party engagement at St. Michael, helping clients understand and respond to a fast changing and diverse political climate.