1 October 2007
New Lord Mayor elected for City of London
The City today elected David Lewis as the 680th Lord Mayor of
the City of London, to serve from Friday 9 November (Lord Mayor’s
Show and fireworks Saturday 10 November).
David Lewis, who served as Sheriff of the City 2006-2007, is an
eminent lawyer and City businessman who has been involved in many
of the largest public company takeovers, both in the UK and across
international borders.
The Lord Mayor is Head of the City of London and acts as
ambassador for the UK-financial services industry and spends three
months a year leading City business delegations overseas – and also
meeting leading overseas politicians and business leaders visiting
London.
Working with FTSE 100 companies, global financial institutions
and governments, the Lord Mayor elect has spent much of his career
helping businesses access global markets, advising on stock
exchange listings, IPOs, corporate finance and mergers and
acquisitions.
His dual charitable appeals will be for ORBIS and Wellbeing of
Women, both practical health promotion agencies which tie in with
keeping the City of London a healthy and vibrant place to work,
live and visit. ORBIS works in some of the world’s poorest
countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and Wellbeing of Women
funds research into clinical issues affecting women’s reproductive
health.
Speaking after his election, Lord Mayor Elect David Lewis said:
"the Lord Mayor’s job of promoting the UK-based financial services
industry has never been more important. City of London research out
today still ranks London ahead of New York in the eyes of the
business community, but in this era of globalisation we have to be
ever more competitive.”
“The UK’s position in the global economy, hundreds of thousands
of highly-skilled jobs across the UK and Europe and billions in
taxes depend on the City of London’s success.”
David Lewis was brought up in the Far East and educated at the
Dragon School and St Edward’s School in Oxford. He studied law at
Jesus College Oxford, where he is now an Honorary Fellow.
He joined the City of London law firm Norton Rose as an articled
clerk in 1969, and continued to work for them in London and Hong
Kong for 37 years, being appointed as Senior Partner for six years
before becoming a consultant in 2003.
David Lewis was elected as the Alderman for the Ward of Broad
Street in the City of London in 2001 and has since served on
several of the committees of the City of London Corporation. He is
a keen supporter of the Livery movement. He is Junior Warden of the
Solicitors’ Company and is also a Liveryman of the Fletchers’
Company and of the Welsh Livery Guild.
His voluntary work includes serving as Chairman of the Governors
of the Dragon School and as an Almoner/Governor of Christ’s
Hospital. He is a trustee of many charitable trusts including
the Oxford University Law Faculty Trust, the Mansion House
Scholarship Scheme, the Lord Mayor’s Trust for Charities, and the
Norton Rose Charitable Foundation. He is a churchwarden of St
Margaret Lothbury and he sits as a City magistrate.
David Lewis married Theresa Poole in 1970 and they have two
married children – a son (Tom) and a daughter (Suzy). Theresa Lewis
is a Liveryman of the Glaziers’ Company. She trained as a teacher
and has also taught adult literacy. She is also an amateur potter
and an artist. When not in London, Alderman and Mrs Lewis divide
their time between their home in Oxford and a farmhouse in
Carmarthenshire, where his Welsh forbears have farmed for
generations.
The Lord Mayor Elect, as he is known after the election, does
not take office until the Silent Ceremony, which is held in Great
Hall, Guildhall on Friday 9 November at 3.00pm, the day preceding
the Lord Mayor's Show (Saturday 10 November). The Lord Mayor's
Banquet, at which the Prime Minister speaks, follows on Monday 12
November at Guildhall.
Ends
Notes to editors
The Lord Mayor is Head of the City of London which provides
local government services for the Square Mile, the financial and
commercial heart of Britain, and is committed to maintaining and
enhancing the status of the business City as the world's leading
international financial and business centre through its policies
and services. Its responsibilities also extend far beyond the City
boundaries and include management of the Barbican Centre, Central
Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, 10,000 acres of open space
including Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest, three wholesale food
markets, as well as acting as the London Port Health Authority.
The Lord Mayor acts as ambassador for the UK-financial services
industry and spends three months a year leading City business
delegations overseas – and also meeting leading overseas
politicians and business leaders visiting London.
More information on the Lord Mayor’s role
The history of the office
Media contact Cubby Fox on 020 7332 3451