City of London Elects Lawyer Vincent Keaveny as 693rd Lord Mayor
City of London Elects Lawyer Vincent Keaveny as 693rd Lord Mayor
(Bloomberg) -- Lawyer Vincent Keaveny will be the 693rd person -- and 691st man -- to become the Lord Mayor of London, donning the ceremonial robes to serve as ambassador for the U.K.’s financial and professional services.
Keaveny, a partner at DLA Piper, will take up the yearlong role in November after being approved by members of the City of London’s livery companies, a type of trade body.
He will take up residence at the 18th century Mansion House, across the road from the Bank of England, while taking about 100 days of overseas trips on behalf of the finance industry -- a major source of U.K. tax income and a sore spot in post-Brexit international relations.
“The Square Mile has constantly reinvented itself throughout history to remain a world-leading business hub,” Keaveny said in a statement Wednesday. “We must rise to this challenge once again in the face of changing economic and social trends brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, while also seizing new opportunities following the U.K.’s exit from the European Union.”
The appointment of another white man to the role comes as the industry struggles to boost diversity. Since the office was established in the 12th century, just two Lord Mayors have been female. The interview process for the mayoralty has come under additional scrutiny after the Financial Times reported last year that a gay candidate had been grilled in 2018 over his sexuality.
Keaveny succeeds William Russell, whose tenure was extended to two years because of the pandemic.
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