Alderman Jeffrey Mountevans has today been elected as the 688th Lord Mayor of the City of London to serve as the global ambassador for UK-based financial and professional services industry from 13 November 2015. He succeeds Alderman Alan Yarrow.

The Lord Mayor Elect, as he is known after today’s election, will not take office until after the Silent Ceremony, which is held in the Great Hall at Guildhall on Friday 13 November, the day preceding The Lord Mayor's Show, his first public engagement (Saturday 14 November). The Lord Mayor's Banquet, at which Prime Minister David Cameron will speak, follows on Monday 16 November at Guildhall.

The Lord Mayor of the City of London will typically spend around three months a year leading overseas business delegations on behalf of the City and meeting key politicians from home and abroad, as well as business leaders and decision makers visiting London’s financial community. A Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords, he assumed the title of Lord Mountevans in December 2014. He has served as Alderman for the Ward of Cheap since 2007 and served as Sheriff of the City of London in 2012/13.

Alderman Mountevans said: “London is Europe’s and the UK’s global platform, which is why ‘Innovate here – succeed anywhere’ is my theme for the year. Innovation is a key part of London’s success, not just in my field of maritime services and logistics, but also in other important world-beating sectors of professional services, skills and education. As Lord Mayor, I want to celebrate this power to innovate and drive it forward to help create more wealth and jobs, not just in London, but also across the UK and Europe.”

Alderman Mountevans was born in Gothenburg, Sweden and is a quarter Norwegian, speaking the language fluently. He was educated at the Nautical College Pangbourne, and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he read Economics. He has worked in the City since 1972, having joined the shipbrokers Clarksons as a graduate trainee. He was most recently a Director in their Gas department, having recently stood down to chair the Government’s Maritime Growth Study, which examined how the UK should maintain and enhance the UK’s position as a leading maritime centre. He has been Chairman of Maritime UK since 2014, is Chairman of Maritime London, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

He currently serves on the City of London Corporation’s Education Board, is Vice-Chairman of the City of London Academy Islington and is an Almoner of Christ’s Hospital School. Alderman Mountevans is married to Juliet and has two children.

Lord Mayor Elect Mountevans’s charities

The Lord Mayor Elect’s chosen charities for his Appeal are JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and Sea Cadets. The funds raised by The Lord Mayor’s Appeal will help JDRF cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes through its research work and the Sea Cadets to help give young people a positive experience on their Tradewind yachts and gain accredited RYA sailing qualifications that will inspire them for life. Small percentages will also be awarded to two City charities: The St Paul’s Chorister Trust and the Mansion House Scholarship Scheme.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. About the Lord Mayor of the City of London

• The Lord Mayor is head of the Square Mile’s City of London authority for one year and the position is unpaid and apolitical. It is an exceptionally demanding role. The Lord Mayor spends some 90 days abroad and addresses some 10,000 people face-to-face each month (making around 800 speeches a year).

• The Lord Mayor represents City businesses and helps the City Corporation advise the Government of the day on what is needed to help the financial and professional services sector to function well. The Lord Mayor frequently travels to represent the City and travels overseas with the status of a Cabinet Minister.

• The Lord Mayor meets a number of international Heads of Government and business each month to discuss financial services, often in conjunction with senior City business representatives. The Lord Mayor lives in the Mansion House for the Mayoral year.

1. About the City of London Corporation

The City of London Corporation provides local government and policing services for the financial and commercial heart of Britain, the 'Square Mile'. In addition, the City Corporation has three roles:

• We support London’s communities by working in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on economic regeneration, education and skills projects. In addition, the City of London Corporation’s charity City Bridge Trust makes grants of more than £15 million annually to charitable projects across London and we also support education with three independent schools, three City Academies, a primary school and the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

• We also help look after London’s heritage and green spaces including Tower Bridge, Museum of London, Barbican Arts Centre, City gardens, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and important ‘commons’ in south London.

• We also support and promote the ‘City’ as a world-leading financial and business hub, with outward and inward business delegations, high-profile civic events and research-driven policies all reflecting a long-term approach.

1. See www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for more details