The Centre for London has unveiled Nick Bowes as its new Chief Executive. Mr Bowes will take up the post in June 2021, succeeding Founding Director Ben Rogers.
He is currently the Mayoral Director of Policy at the Greater London Authority.
Mr Bowes has worked in senior roles in public affairs and policy over the last 15 years, including spells at the Royal Society, EEF (now Make UK) and the CBI.
Between 2010 and 2015, he was the Special Adviser to Sadiq Khan as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Constitutional Reform.
He is also a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Policy Institute, King’s College London, and is a leading expert in London policy and government. His background is as a geographer, and he has a PhD in economic geography from the University of Sheffield.
Richard Brown will lead the Centre as Acting Director until June.
NOW READ: Blueprint for London’s COVID recovery from “cultural catastrophe” set out by City Taskforce
Liz Peace CBE, Chair of Trustees, Centre for London said: “Ben Rogers was always going to be a hard act to follow but I don’t think we could have found anyone else as well suited to take on the mantle of running Centre for London as Nick.
“Nick’s knowledge of our wonderful but challenged city is immense. Even more importantly he has shown tremendous enthusiasm for picking up Centre for London’s mission and ensuring we can continue to play a significant role in helping to shape London’s recovery and future.
“My fellow trustees and I are looking forward greatly to working with him.”
Mr Bowes said he was looking forward to joining the organisation at an “absolutely critical time” for the future of the city.
He said: “The Centre has a great reputation as London’s think tank, and I’m excited to be joining a fantastic team as the city grapples with the enormous policy challenges it faces.
“It’s an awesome responsibility to take over from Ben Rogers who has done so much to build up the Centre over its first decade, and I wish Ben the very best with his future adventures.
“The decisions London’s policymakers will take over the coming few years will decide the course of the capital for a lifetime. COVID-19 has exposed the longstanding issues faced by the city, and the recovery from the pandemic will dominate the policy agenda for many years to come.
“With my first-hand experience across housing, transport, planning, regeneration and environmental policy, and then most recently on recovery, I hope to help position the Centre right at the heart of the debate about London’s future.”
For the latest headlines from the City of London and beyond, follow City Matters on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
