How we handle your information.
Last updated: 12 June 2026
This notice explains how Ortent Advisory Ltd ("we", "us", "Ortent") collects and uses personal data when you interact with our website, subscribe to our writing, or engage us for advisory services. It is written to meet our obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Who we are
Ortent Advisory Ltd is the data controller responsible for your personal data. We are a company registered in England and Wales, company number 17176275, with its registered office at 14/2E Docklands Business Centre, 10-16 Tiller Road, London E14 8PX.
If you have any questions about this notice or wish to exercise any of your rights, contact us at legal@ortent.co.
2. What we collect and why
Website contact
If you email us directly, we receive your name, email address, and the contents of your message. We use this to reply and, where relevant, to discuss a potential engagement. Our lawful basis is legitimate interest (responding to enquiries) and, where an engagement follows, performance of a contract.
Newsletter subscriptions
If you subscribe to our field notes, your email address is collected and processed by Substack Inc., which operates the platform we use to publish and distribute the newsletter. Substack acts as an independent controller of subscriber data for its own platform purposes, and as a processor on our behalf for delivering the newsletter to you. You can review Substack's privacy notice at substack.com/privacy. Our lawful basis is consent, which you give by submitting the form. You can unsubscribe from every email we send.
Client engagements
When we work with a client, we hold the contact details and correspondence needed to deliver the engagement, along with any documents and information shared with us during the work. Our lawful basis is performance of a contract and, where applicable, legitimate interest or legal obligation.
Website analytics
Ortent uses two analytics services on its website. Netlify provides server-side traffic analytics derived from CDN logs. Netlify sets no cookies, processes no personal data, and retains aggregate visit counts for 30 days. Microsoft Clarity provides anonymised session replays and heatmaps so we can understand how the site is used and improve it. Clarity sets cookies, masks form fields and other personal data by default, and does not sell or share data with third parties. Its retention is 13 months. We do not run Google Analytics or any advertising trackers. The specific cookies set are listed on the cookies page. The lawful basis for both services is legitimate interest (improving the website).
3. How we share your data
We do not sell personal data. We share data only with:
- Service providers acting on our instructions (for example, Substack for the newsletter, Google Workspace for email, and our accountants).
- Professional advisers where necessary (for example, legal or tax counsel).
- Authorities where we are required to by law.
4. International transfers
Some of our service providers are located outside the UK, including in the United States. Where we transfer personal data outside the UK, we rely on approved safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the EU Standard Contractual Clauses with the UK Addendum.
5. How long we keep data
We keep personal data only as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. Enquiry emails are typically kept for up to 24 months. Client engagement records are kept for 6 years after the end of the engagement for tax and professional purposes. Newsletter subscriptions are kept until you unsubscribe.
6. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Ask us to delete data, subject to any legal retention requirements.
- Restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances.
- Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.
- Ask for a copy of your data in a portable format.
To exercise any of these rights, email legal@ortent.co. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk, though we would appreciate the chance to address any concerns first.
7. Changes to this notice
We will update this notice from time to time. Material changes will be noted at the top of the page.