Director of Business Development, Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA)
Sophie de Schwarzburg-Gunther, Co-Founder and CEO of Capital Strategy Ltd, brings 20 years’ professional experience in marketing, international business development and external relations across a wide spectrum of industry sectors and geographies.
From building market leader brands such as Pantene, Duracell and Shell via advertising, branding and digital media, to developing high profile opinion former networking clubs and producing multiple stakeholder national events, she has worked for both multinationals and governments. She has successfully supported retail giants such as Procter & Gamble, Samsung, and Halifax, managed the inaugural G’dayUK programme for the Australian Trade Commission and State Governments, and helped develop high level business networking communities such as YouGovStone and Editorial Intelligence.
A London-based businesswoman with a global perspective, Sophie has worked in New York as well as London, and maintains a valued and ever growing corporate, media and political international network.
Capital Strategy Ltd provides international business development, new market entry and accelerated growth strategies, as well as public affairs services globally. Specific services include corporate development, external and government relations, marketing, event management, sponsorship and investor sourcing, and social media consultancy.
Sophie has played a key role as a volunteer activist and fundraiser for the UK Conservative Party for over a decade. Formal positions have included 8 years as Secretary for Holland Ward in the Kensington & Chelsea Conservative Association, 4 years as the Chairman of the Fastrack Donor Club, Committee member of Team 2000, Founding Committee member of the Conservative Friends of Poland, Chairman of the Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham & Hammersmith Conservative Association Ball 2007, Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Dinner 2008 in support of the Conservative Women’s Organisation. She also served as Sponsorship Officer on the Steering Committee of C-WISE, part of the Conservative Womens’ Organisation, supporting women in small and medium sized businesses. Sophie continues to regularly serve on committees in support of charities and foundations including the 2010 MacMillan Cancer House of Commons/Lords Tug of War, the British Foreign Legion 2010 Poppy Ball and the Mad Hatter’s Party in aid of The Childrens’ Trust 2012. Most recently she together with Trey Barnes is supporting RAFT, is a wound healing research charity working to heal people through scientific discovery, together with Walking with the Wounded, serving on the 2014 event fundraising committee.