Tony Blair hires investment banker with Middle East expertise He added that the business activities came into conflict with his unpaid role as envoy to the Middle East for the Quartet - the group that represents the US, Russia, the United Nations and Europe. "This is further evidence that Tony Blair is ever more engaged in business dealings within the region of the Middle East and this brings into conflict his role as Quartet envoy and also questions the energy, time and focus that he is able to bring to the role," Mr Doyle said. I think he has to make a choice - does he wish to continue to be the Quartet envoy or does he wish to be a very active businessman in the region? I don't think he can have both. Mr Eisenpresser, 33, holds a business degree from Oxford. Details of his past work are disclosed in the curriculum vitae of Peter Lusk, a US investment banker. According to Mr Lusk's online profile they were in a "commodity trading partnership ... in affiliation with major Middle Eastern royal family trading company." A spokesman for Mr Blair said: "Jackson Eisenpresser ... has not been hired because of any connections with any royal family, but because of his experience and excellent track record. He will work - as with other TBA people - globally not focused on the Middle East. The truth is that the people who keep raising this issue of conflict are really opposed to Tony Blair's position on the politics of the Middle East ... As for the Quartet role, this is an unpaid part-time, ex officio role. Tony Blair does absolutely no business anywhere that concerns that role in Israel and Palestine or is in conflict with it.