Community Chest: The City Of London - The World's Coffee House
Webinar
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The speaker, Mike Wardle, CEO at ZN, moderated a webinar with Professor Michael Minnelli, former Lord Mayor of London, focusing on his mayoral year and its themes. Minnelli discussed the City of London, highlighting its role not just as a financial center, but also as a hub for science, technology, education, and media. He emphasized the city's unique structure as a democratic workers and residents cooperative, with workers having a significant vote. Minnelli outlined his mayoral themes, including "Connect to Prosper," which aimed to leverage London's multidisciplinary and multicultural connections to address global challenges, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He detailed initiatives in areas like ethical AI, space protection, smart economies networks, and mental health. Minnelli also spoke about the importance of commerce, community, and charity in the Lord Mayor's role, highlighting fundraising efforts and the city's commitment to sustainability. He reflected on his travels as an ambassador for London, noting the warmth and affection for the city worldwide. Finally, Minnelli shared his plans for the future, which include focusing on solutions-oriented work, philanthropy, city governance, and sustainable finance.
Description:
Professor Michael Mainelli returns to the FS Club webinar series after a year's sabbatical from Z/Yen to reflect on his personal experience of financial centres, particularly the City of London. As the creator of the Global Financial Centres, Smart Centres, and Global Green Finance indices, he knows what makes cities work.
Michael has a unique viewpoint on the City of London, reinforced through the privilege of serving as:
- Lord Mayor of London (2023-2024) - his theme was "Connect To Prosper", celebrating the many Knowledge Miles of our Square Mile, the world's coffee house, during which year City of London jobs grew from 615,000 to 678,000 (!), an increase of over 10% - end-of-term report;
- Sheriff of London (2019-2021) - alongside Deputy Chris Hayward, where due to Covid they were the first two Sheriffs since 1228 AD to serve a second term with a core programme of strengthening & simplifying anti-money laundering - end-of-term report.
In this Community Chest, Michael hopes to provide answers to questions such as the future of financial centre concentrations, geopolitics, and regulation, as well as the underpinning technology and skills changes. His thinking has been heavily influenced from a year travelling well over 100 days to 25 countries and he looks forward to exchanging thoughts with fellow FS Club members.
Speaker:
Professor Michael Mainelli FCCA FCSI(Hon) FBCS, Chairman, Z/Yen Group, is a scientist and economist trying to promote societal advance through better finance and technology. Originally a research scientist in aerospace (rocket science) and computing (architecture & cartography), educated at Harvard and Trinity College Dublin, he gained his PhD from the London School of Economics, where he was also Visiting Professor in innovation and IT. He became a senior partner of accountants BDO Binder Hamlyn, and Corporate Development Director for the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Evaluation & Research Agency. During a mergers & acquisitions spell in merchant banking with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, in 1994 he founded Z/Yen, the City of London’s leading think-tank. Z/Yen is renowned for its Global Financial, Green Finance, and Smart Centres indices, as well as notable ‘firsts’ in technology research. Michael has advised numerous governments and municipalities around the world on developing commercial, financial & technology centres.
Michael is a Professor Emeritus and Life Fellow of Gresham College, Fellow of King’s College London, Birkbeck College, and Goodenough College, Honorary Visiting Professor of City St George’s, Visiting Professor at UCL’s Bartlett School, Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple, and non-executive Director of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and a listed mining company. He is active in fourteen livery companies, past Master of the World Traders, an Alderman of the City of London for Broad Street, late Lord Mayor (2023-2024), and Sheriff (2019-2021), with charity interests in the environment, education, and care. His third book, written with Ian Harris, The Price Of Fish: A New Approach To Wicked Economics And Better Decisions, won the Independent Publisher Book Awards Finance, Investment & Economics Gold Prize.
Speaker(s):
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Professor Michael Mainelli
Chairman
Z/Yen Group
Chairman:
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Mike Wardle
CEO
Z/Yen Group