Roger Gifford

Sir Michael Roger Gifford KStJ KNO (3 August 1955 – 25 May 2021) was a British banker in London who served as the 685th Lord Mayor of London from 2012 to 2013.

Alderman Sir
Roger Gifford
KStJ KNO
Portrait of Gifford at Chatham House in 2013
685th Lord Mayor of London
In office
9 November 2012 – 8 November 2013
Preceded bySir David Wootton
Succeeded byDame Fiona Woolf
Personal details
Born
Michael Roger Gifford

(1955-08-03)3 August 1955
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Died25 May 2021(2021-05-25) (aged 65)
NationalityBritish
Spouse(s)Jane Lunzer (1983–2004)
Clare Taylor, Lady Gifford
Children5
Alma materTrinity College, Oxford
OccupationMerchant banker

Gifford was the UK head of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) from 2000 and was also a Patron of the financial and enterprise education charity "MyBnk".

Early life

Gifford was born in St Andrews, Scotland to Douglas Gifford (of Argentinian and Lowland Scots descent) and Hazel Collingwood.[1] He was educated at Sedbergh School[2] before going up to Trinity College, Oxford, graduating with an MA degree in Chemistry.

Career

Gifford started his career in finance with SG Warburg (1978–82), working in international banking and capital markets. In 1982, he left to join a new merchant bank, Enskilda Securities, Skandinaviska Enskilda Bank and, from 1994 to 2000, he headed the bank's operations in Japan. From 2000 to 2017 he was SEB's UK country manager and was a Senior Banker. He was also Chair of the UK Green Finance Institute having led the Green Finance Initiative (2016) and the UK Government's Green Finance Taskforce (2017).

A former chairman of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce (UK) and of the Association of Foreign Banks (UK), he was a Chair of St Paul's Cathedral Council, Founding Chair of the City Music Foundation,[3] the English Chamber Orchestra charity and the Tenebrae Choir, tenebrae-choir.com. Accessed 4 July 2023.</ref> among other Arts involvements. He was a liveryman of the Worshipful Companies of Musicians, Master (2016-2017), Cordwainers and Security Professionals, the Worshipful Company of International Bankers, Master (2010–11) and was sponsoring Alderman for the Guild of Public Relations Practitioners.

Sir Roger joined the Bank Workers Charity Trustee Board in 2011 and, following his term as Lord Mayor of London, was appointed its President on 1 March 2014. He believed there is a continuing need to support banking industry employees and to enhance the ethics and culture of the sector.

Civic service

Gifford was elected as Alderman for the City of London Ward of Cordwainer in 2004 and was a member of the City of London Corporation Culture Heritage and Libraries Committee; he served as Sheriff of London from 2008 to 2009.

In October 2012, he was elected Lord Mayor of London and took office on 9 November.[4] Speaking after his election, Gifford said: "Next month will mark exactly 30 years since I joined SEB and 35 years since I first started working in the City. During this time, London's Square Mile has become a truly global centre – and the focus of my year in office will be to underline that service is, and must be, at the heart of the financial services industry of the UK. In other words that the City must serve society – and be seen to do so."[5]

While Lord Mayor, he carried the Mourning Sword at the funeral of Margaret Thatcher, leading the Queen and Prince Philip in and out of St Paul's Cathedral for the ceremony. The last time it had been used was at the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.[6]

Gifford's Lord Mayoral charitable appeal, under the banner "The City in Society", focused on the City of London as a global centre for philanthropy and the Arts.[7]

Personal life

Gifford and his wife, Dr Clare Taylor, Lady Gifford, lived in London.[8]

A Freemason,[9] Sir Roger listed his recreations as chamber music, singing, opera, gardening, and forestry.

Gifford died from complications of myeloma in 2021, aged 65.[10]

Honours

In 2013, as Chancellor ex officio, Gifford received an Hon DSc from City University and was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours for "services to international business, culture, and the City of London".[11] He was awarded an Hon LLD by St Andrews University in the same year.

References
  1. Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood
  2. Ex-Sedbergh pupil to be Lord Mayor of London, thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk. Accessed 4 July 2023.
  3. CITY MUSIC FOUNDATION, citymusicfoundation.org. Accessed 4 July 2023.
  4. "City banker elected London Lord Mayor". Financial Times.
  5. Next Lord Mayor of the City of London is determined to ensure service to society is at the heart of financial services, cityoflondon.gov.uk.
  6. Marsden, Sam (17 April 2013). "Mourning sword in Thatcher ceremony was last used at Churchill's funeral". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. Obituary, heraldscotland.com. Accessed 4 July 2023.
  8. "'Joyfully boring' banker Roger Gifford steps up to become London's other mayor". Evening Standard. 9 November 2012.
  9. "The Queen's New Year's Honours list 2014". Freemasonary Today. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  10. "Sir Roger Gifford, banker and champion of green finance, 1955–2021". Financial Times. 26 May 2021.
  11. "No. 60728". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2013. p. 1.
  12. New Year Honours 2014: Prime Minister's List
  13. "Order of St. John". The London Gazette. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
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