William Russel was elected as Alderman for the Ward of Bread Street in 2013 and served as Sheriff of the City of London in 2016-17. He has been the Lord Mayor of the City of London since 2019.

Before leaving for public service, William Russell spent over 30 years working in the financial sector. In 1987 he went to work for First Boston Corporation before joining Merrill Lynch in 1992 as an investment banker in Institutional Equity Sales, working in Asia, New York and London. 

William is currently Chair of CDAM, a London based Asset Management business, and Senior Advisor to STJ Advisors. He was also on the Board of Innovate Finance, the industry body for the UK based FinTech community.

He has a number of charitable interests. He has served as Chair of the Development Board of the Royal Court Theatre, he is a Board Member of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Barbican Centre and is on the Council of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust. He is immediate past Chair of Prostate Cancer UK and is currently Deputy Chair of Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity. He is a Trustee of Morden College and a past member of the Development Board of the Charterhouse.

William is the fifth member of his family to be Lord Mayor in the past 110 years.

Further reading:

Official Bio

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us/about-the-city-of-london-corporation/lord-mayor/lord-mayor-biography

London is a leader in green finance but we must strive for more (February 2021)

https://www.cityam.com/londin-is-a-leader-inn-green-finance-but-we-must-strive-for-more/

Board of Trade report: green trade (July 2021)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/board-of-trade-report-green-trade