about kleos advisory

Kleos Advisory provides thought leadership and strategic advisory on African markets, commodity value chains and ESG.

At Kleos Advisory we look at complex issues, markets and sectors and build narratives that are clear, engaging and convincing. We bring an original perspective, strong local knowledge and a curiosity to tease out the real problems and find solutions that work on the ground. 

Our expertise includes local & regional market knowledge, commodity trade and supply chain (especially cocoa), trade and trade finance, disruptive technology and sustainability.

Our strategic advisory includes carrying out market and sectoral research, producing White Papers, scoping and gap analysis reports, and facilitating brainstorming, workshops and strategy meetings. 

Our thought leadership includes producing articles, bespoke reports, virtual events and podcasts for clients, as well as chairing and speaking at conferences.

Tedd George

Tedd George (aka Dr Edward George) is the founder and Chief Narrative Officer of Kleos Advisory. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience working in finance, commodities and African markets, Tedd advises companies and institutions working in Sub-Saharan Africa and delivers professional training on ESG and sustainable finance. 

Born and bred in London, Tedd has long had a passion for travel and foreign languages which has taken him across Europe, Latin America and Africa. A linguist by training, he is fluent in Spanish, French and Portuguese and regularly works in these languages. Tedd has a diverse range of specialities, including African markets, disruptive technology (fintech, blockchain and trade tech), soft commodities (especially cocoa), agribusiness, trade and trade finance, supply chain integrity and ESG. 

Tedd is well known as a speaker, appearing regularly as chairman, keynote speaker and moderator on the world conference and webinar circuit and as a commentator in the media (see Case Studies section). Tedd also has a strong creative side, writing and editing non-fiction books and articles, producing podcasts and webinars, and delivering lectures on his favourite subjects (see Creative Output section).

Why Kleos?

You might wonder why I chose the name Kleos for my company. The answer isn’t simple.

‘Kleos’ comes from the ancient Greek word, κλέος. Roughly translated it means ‘glory’ or ‘renown’. For the heroes of Ancient Greece, Kleos was the ultimate goal – to live on after your death in the stories told about your life. I first came across the word when I visited an ancient necropolis that lies half-forgotten on the northern coast of Mallorca. Son Real – as it is called today – was in use for over 500 years, from the time of Homer to the rise of the Roman Empire in the 3rd Century BCE. Set on an 800 square metre peninsular stretching out into the sea, Son Real is spectacular.

Huddled across the site are the crumbling remains of around 100 tombs. But these are no ordinary tombs; these are the tombs of heroes. To be buried in Son Real you needed to have your own ‘epos’, or legend, which is why over five centuries no more than 400 people were buried in this cemetery of the heroic elite. Imposing stone towers of the dead were built for each new hero added to the pantheon, encouraging their tales to be told and retold by each new generation.

As I wandered through the ruins of Son Real, I thought of the long-lost heroes buried there. How many of their tales had been woven into the Greek myths that fascinated me as a child? How many of their deeds are now part of the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Labours of Hercules, or Jason and the Argonauts?

And yet, there is no trace left of these heroes. Two thousand years of decay, looting and archaeology have scattered their bones and artefacts, erasing from history all links to them as individuals. Today, all that is left are their ruined tombs crumbling into the sea.

And then it struck me what Kleos is all about. Kleos is not about the power of the individual to survive: we will all vanish into dust. Kleos is about the power of our stories to survive. And stories have a power like no other to capture the human imagination, embed themselves in the cultural memory and be refashioned by each new generation.

I have a passion for telling stories, whether for business or for pleasure. Much of what I do involves crafting narratives that engage, intrigue and stay in the mind. So Kleos felt like the right name for my company.

Put simply, Kleos is about achieving immortality through narrative. I have no chance of becoming immortal. But perhaps my stories will survive.