·       Sheriffs to support Lord Mayor of the City of London and Old Bailey

·       Business, innovation, and public service expertise at the heart of new Sheriff team

·       New Sheriffs to champion rule of law and UK's global competitiveness

Alderman Prem Goyal CBE and Alderman The Hon. Tim Levene have been elected by Common Hall at Guildhall as the Sheriffs of the City of London for 2026–27.

They will take office on 28 September, holding the position for one year and succeeding Alderman Robert Hughes-Penney and Deputy Keith Bottomley.

The office of Sheriff of the City of London, a pre-requisite to becoming Lord Mayor, is one of the oldest in existence and dates to the Middle Ages.

The Sheriffs’ modern-day duties include supporting the Lord Mayor in his or her civic roles and serving as ambassadors for the UK’s financial and professional services industry by promoting Great Britain as a place in which to do business.

In addition to assisting the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs support His Majesty’s Judges at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) by promoting the importance of the English rule of law to businesses, schools, diplomats, charities, the City Livery, and leading arts figures.

The City of London powers the UK economy, supporting 676,000 workers and 24,000 businesses, generating £109 billion in output, and £1.3 billion in business rates, and a major share of the FPS sectors’ £110 billion annual tax revenue.

Growing up in India, Sheriff-Elect Alderman Prem Goyal CBE graduated with degrees in Engineering from IIT (India) and Clarkson University (New York), before obtaining an MBA from UCLA and completing executive education at Chicago Booth.

Prem holds several board and advisory roles across the financial and business sectors, and currently serves as Chair of Greengage and as a non-executive director at Dolma Impact Fund II and the Federation of Small Businesses. His finance experience includes over 20 years at global investment banks, including Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank in New York, Tokyo, Zurich, and London.

An Alderman of the City of London representing Portsoken Ward since 2017, Prem was awarded a CBE in 2025 for public service.

Sheriff-Elect Alderman Prem Goyal CBE, said:

“It is a tremendous honour to have been elected Sheriff of the City of London.

“The City succeeds because it combines enterprise, opportunity, and global talent. I look forward to serving, and working alongside, the Lord Mayor, and His Majesty’s Judges to champion these strengths, both, at home and internationally.”

Sheriff-Elect Alderman The Hon. Tim Levene has represented the Ward of Bridge and Bridge Without in the City of London since 2022. Educated at the City of London School and the University of Manchester, Tim is an established entrepreneur who helped found and build Crussh and Betfair.

In 2010, he founded Augmentum, taking it public in 2018 as the UK's first listed fintech investment company. In May 2026, Augmentum was acquired by the European private equity firm Verdane. Tim continues to lead Augmentum under Verdane's ownership. Companies backed by Augmentum have created over 10,000 new jobs since 2018.

Tim was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012. He chaired the Royal Foundation's Digital Board for six years and now sits on the National Gallery's Digital Board.

Sheriff-Elect Alderman The Hon. Tim Levene said:

"The City does two things at once: it embraces what is new and protects what we have. That balance, between innovation and the rule of law, is what I hope to bring to the role.

“I have spent my career founding and backing businesses and as Sheriff, I want to put that experience to work for the City: championing the Square Mile as a global home for financial services in general and for fintech and AI in particular, and opening doors for the next generation of founders. 

“It will be an honour to support His Majesty's Judges at the Old Bailey, and to serve the Lord Mayor and the Livery."

During their year in office, the Sheriffs live and work at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), which is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation and recognised as the most famous criminal court in the world.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK – www.cityoflondon.gov.uk