The Lord Mayor of London, an ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services industry, is visiting Australia at the head of a business delegation next week with the aim of strengthening trade links with the City of London.

Charles Bowman, the Lord Mayor, will meet government and business leaders, regulators, and trade bodies in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, discussing how the City of London can work more closely with Australian companies as they invest for growth domestically and abroad.

Lord Mayor Bowman, the 690^th incumbent of a role that dates back centuries, is the leader of London’s ‘Square Mile,’ or financial district, and has plans to visit 27 countries over the course of his year in office. Charles Bowman is an accountant by profession, and is a Senior Partner at PwC in London.

The Lord Mayor will be visiting Australia at the head of a business delegation of senior figures from industries such as asset management, cyber security, and fintech, along with the Prime Minister’s Business Envoy for Financial Services, and entrepreneur Alastair Lukies. A number of the companies represented on the Lord Mayor’s business delegation are making investments in Australia, or are partnering with Australian companies as they expand into the APAC region.

He will also discuss how a potential free trade deal will look with senior Australian politicians, including the Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison MP.

Speaking ahead of his visit to Australia, Lord Mayor Charles Bowman said:

“It is a great pleasure to be the first Lord Mayor in more than three years to be visiting Australia. I know that my visit will involve a packed and productive schedule, engaging with senior representatives from government, industry, and regulators.

“There are many excellent opportunities for British companies to do business in Australia – not least in asset management, infrastructure finance, cyber and fintech – and I look forward to discussing this in Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne.

“I will also be meeting innovative fintech businesses in Sydney and Melbourne to see how the City of London, as a financial centre full of creative energy, can help support their ideas and growth.

“Following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, it is more important than ever that we build our links with vibrant and growing markets across the world, and I know the UK’s relationship with Australia will go from strength-to-strength in the years to come.

International Trade Secretary, Dr. Liam Fox said:

“The UK and Australia already have a strong economic and cultural relationship – based on our shared histories, language, and open liberal economies.

“The Lord Mayor’s visit with a top business delegation, aims to further boost trade and investment ties, while making it easier for the City to work with their partners on the other side of the world.”

The Prime Minister’s Business Envoy for Financial Services, Alastair Lukies said:

“The Lord Mayor’s visit to Australia comes at a time where the UK is rediscovering its place in the world as a great, global trading nation, and I am honoured to be a part of it.

“The UK leads the world in financial services, and has also taken decisive, focused action over the past decade to evolve into the world’s leading financial technology Hub.

“I’m particularly excited to reconnect with innovative and growing fintech businesses in Sydney and Melbourne to continue the various alliances and trading partnership discussions already underway and to speak about why the UK is the perfect location for them to grow their businesses.”

The Lord Mayor’s visit will have a strong focus on innovation, and how financial and professional services can support the growth of startups. The Lord Mayor will be touring the Commonwealth Bank Innovation Hub, and Stone and Chalk Fintech Hub in Sydney, as well as the York Butter Factory digital hub in Melbourne.

These visits will be balanced by meetings with established institutional investors, events with business representative bodies such as the Australian British Chamber of Commerce and Australian Bankers Association, and a number of events focused on Green Finance.

The Lord Mayor will be tweeting from @CityLordMayor during his visit.