William Russell (Lord Mayor)

Last updated

Hilary Chaplin
​
(m. 1989)​
Sir
William Russell
Lord Mayor William Russell.jpg
Lord Mayor Russell in 2021
692nd Lord Mayor of London
In office
9 November 2019 –13 November 2021
Children4
Alma mater Durham University
Occupation Investment banker

Sir William Anthony Bowater Russell (born 15 April 1965) is a British financier who served as the 692nd Lord Mayor of the City of London from 2019 to 2021. [1]

Contents

Biography

Educated at Eton and Durham University, graduating B.A., Russell started his career in financial services at First Boston in 1987, and joined Merrill Lynch in 1992, [2] working in Hong Kong, New York and London, before leaving in 2006 for public service. [3] [4]

Sheriff of the City of London for 2016/17, Russell was then elected Lord Mayor on 1 October 2019, taking office on 9 November 2019. [5] [6] In view of the global disruption to public life brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Russell was re-elected, on 29 September 2020, as Lord Mayor of London to serve a second term for 2021, [7] the first Lord Mayor to serve more than one term since William Cubitt MP , who was re-elected in 1861. [8] He is the fifth member of his family to have held this position. [9]

Russell represents Bread Street Ward as Alderman on the City of London Corporation since 2013. [10]
He serves as Master of the Haberdashers' Company for 2024/25, [11] and is a Liveryman of the Feltmakers' as well as an Honorary Liveryman of the Paviors' Companies. [12]

Russell was knighted in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to "financial innovation, culture and wellbeing in the City of London, particularly during COVID-19". [13]

A keen cricketer, he is also a member of MCC, [14] and remains an Advisory Board member of Innovate Finance, an independent not-for-profit membership organisation serving the global FinTech community. [15]

Sir William serves as Chairman of the Barbican Centre Board since 2024 (Deputy Chairman, 2022–24). [16]

Family

The only son of Anthony Russell, a stockbroker, he is in remainder to the family baronetcy, [17] created for his great-great-uncle, Charles Russell, founder of the eponymous law firm. [18]

His mother, Charlotte née Bowater, was from a Kentish family of paper packagers; [19] her father, Sir Ian Bowater GBE , served as Lord Mayor of London for 1969/70, and his father Sir Frank Bowater, Lord Mayor for 1938/39. [5] Russell is the fifth member of his family elected as Lord Mayor of London. [9]

British actor Damian Lewis CBE [20] is his maternal half-brother. [21]

Married in 1989 to Hilary Chaplin, Sir William and Lady Russell have four children. [22]

Honours

Arms

Coat of arms of William Russell
Arms of Russell of Killowen.svg
Crest
A Goat passant Argent armed Or charged on the body with three Trefoils slipped fesswise Vert
Helm
That of a Knight
Heraldique ornement Heaume baronnet.svg
Escutcheon
Argent a Lion rampant Gules on a chief Sable three Escallops of the Field the whole within a Bordure engrailed Vert
Motto
Che sera sera
(Eng: What will be, will be)
Orders
Behind the Shield, the Badge of St John and suspended below, by its ribbon, the insignia of a Knight Bachelor:
Knights Bachelor Insignia.png ; KJSTJ.jpg
Other elements
As Lord Mayor, Russell could impale the City of London arms (dexter) with his family arms (sinister), and likewise as Master Haberdasher can impale the Haberdashers' arms (dexter):
Arms of William Russell as Lord Mayor of London.svg Coat of arms of Sir William Russell, as Master Haberdasher.svg

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "The Lord Mayor – City of London". Government of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  2. ↑ www.bloomberg.com
  3. ↑ "CV" (PDF). William Russell. September 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  4. ↑ www.isaschools.org.uk
  5. 1 2 "Next Lord Mayor of the City elected". This is about: William Russell. 9 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "The Lord Mayor-Elect". Lord Mayor's Show. 9 November 2019.
  7. ↑ Pullman, Nigel (17 April 2020). "Guildhall last night confirmed that William Russell will now remain in office [as LM] until November 2021". liverycompanies.info. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "City of London plans 'back to work' week to revive Square Mile". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  9. 1 2 Thomas, Daniel (2 July 2021). "Secretive Lord Mayor of London election thrown into disarray". Financial Times. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Corporation of London: Member details – The Rt Hon. Lord Mayor, Alderman William Anthony Bowater Russell". Government of the United Kingdom. 21 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Celebrating the Election of our Liveryman, Alderman William Russell, as Lord Mayor of London; The Haberdashers' Company". haberdashers.co.uk.
  12. ↑ "Global UK: Trade, Innovation and Culture – City of London". Government of the United Kingdom.
  13. ↑ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N2.
  14. ↑ www.cityam.com
  15. ↑ "Innovate Finance – The Voice of Global FinTech". Innovate Finance – The Voice of Global FinTech.
  16. ↑ www.barbican.org.uk
  17. ↑ Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 107th edn. 2003. p. 3442 (RUSSELL, Bt). ISBN   0-9711966-2-1.
  18. ↑ www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com
  19. ↑ "Bowater bio" (PDF).
  20. ↑ "Damian Lewis". IMDb. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  21. ↑ "Interview: Lord Mayor William Russell". London Evening Standard. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  22. ↑ www.debretts.com
  23. ↑ www.thegazette.co.uk

Additional reading

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Lord Mayor of London
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