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M&S boss Stuart Rose to help Mayor attract global investment
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard08.09.08
Sir Stuart Rose, the boss of Marks and Spencer, is joining some of the world's top business leaders who will advise Mayor Boris Johnson on how to make the capital more attractive to international companies.
He is one of almost 50 executives who have been appointed to the new International Business Advisory Council for London.
The group will be chaired by advertising guru Sir Martin Sorrell, and meets for the first time on 5 October.
Its role is to help secure London's position as "a top global city" by making it a more appealing place to be based for leading companies and their employees.
The first meeting will consider London's "livability", looking at issues such as the quality of housing and public transport.
The Mayor said: "London is a fantastic and exciting city attracting people from all continents, countries and cultures who bring a vibrancy to our city that is unmatched anywhere in the world.
"London is also widely seen as one of the foremost global cities in which to do business and ensuring that it maintains and builds on this position is something we all have a large stake in maintaining.
"I am delighted that Sir Martin agreed to set up and chair the first meeting of this extraordinary group of international business leaders and equally delighted that they wanted to be part of the process for making our city even better.
"That they accepted the invitation to serve on the council says so much about London."
Other council members include James Dimon, chairman and CEO of JP Morgan Chase; Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas; Tony Hayward, group chief executive of BP; and Neville Isdell, chairman of the Coca-Cola Company.
Of the 47 members, fewer than five per cent are women.
Sir Martin said: "I am delighted to have been asked to be the inaugural Chair at such an important time for London, with just four years to go before the 2012 Olympic Games. A successful Games is clearly of enormous importance to London and London's business.
"I hope IBAC London can play a major part in advising the Mayor on how this can be achieved."
Reader views (5)
Marks share prices are well down today so why is he going to be a good advisor when he cannot run his own company ?
- Binky Boo, London
I give him a month. Two at the outside.
- Fresh, London
Strange how Ken managed to run London with so few advisors while Boris seems to need an ever increasing number of advisers. But then he does encounter a very quick turnover rate!
All Londoners want is for him to devote ALL his time to being mayor without recourse to job on the side.
Perhaps it time for Alaistair Darling to introduce a 60% income tax rate payable on earnings from secondary sources to their main full time job! In this case it would be his newspaper column.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
I'm glad Sir Stuart has time to spare from the day job, seeing what M&S's share price is doing: one of the hallmarks of a firm's leadership sleeping on the job is taking pompous but pointless roles on committees. Swish HQs with fountains in the foyer, company jets, standing in group photos next to celebs and politicians - they're all symptoms of lack of direction, or else networking to get the next job. Not a good sign.
- Mdj, Leyton, e10 london
Sir Stuart on business Lily Allen on knives London will be such a brilliant place in 2012
- Miss Snipe, London
