Defence adviser joins United News

BERNARD GRAY, who has worked for the past two years as personal adviser to George Robertson, the Defence Secretary, is joining United News & Media as director of group strategy. The former investment banker helped Mr Robertson formulate the Strategic Defence Review and the Smart Procurement Initiative before Mr Robertson's recent appointment as head of Nato.

Mr Gray, 38, spent the 1980s in investment banking before joining the Financial Times as a contributor to the Lex column. He later covered defence. He will report direct to Clive Hollick, group chief executive of United, who said Mr Gray would "bring greater focus to formulation, implementation and communication of strategy".