Thank you for visiting my personal website.
I have been a Common Councillor for the Ward of Walbrook – situated in the very heart of the City of London – since 2013, representing businesses and residents both in the Ward and across the City. I was re-elected in the City wide elections in 2017 and 2022.
I have worked in or been closely connected with the City or “Square Mile” for some 35 years.
My experience spans banking, financial and professional services, real estate, construction, housing, law enforcement, education and government – gained in the UK and internationally.
This website gives you more information about my aims, priorities, interests and activities. Do please explore via the Menu.
My current roles cover housing, law enforcement, education and the City of London itself.
Housing – delivering low cost affordable homes for those that need them
I am non-executive Chairman and former Chief Executive of MJ Gleeson plc the UK’s largest listed house builder of quality low-cost homes for first time buyers. I was previously Chief Executive of Keepmoat Homes, the UK’s largest private builder of low cost and affordable homes.
Since 2013, I have been involved in delivering over 30,000 new homes nationally at an average sales price of just £150,000.
I was Chairman of the City of London’s Housing Delivery committee looking at how the City delivers 3,750 new affordable homes for Londoners.
I also previously served as a non-executive board member of the Housing & Finance Institute (HFI) an accelerator hub that works with industry and public sector partners to increase housing supply to help stimulate the new affordable homes that the UK needs.
Policing – locally and nationally
I am Deputy Chair and former Chair of the City of London Police Authority Board which acts in the capacity as the local police authority for the City of London Corporation. I have been on the Police Authority Board since 2015 and I have worked with the City Police for over 22 years since 2002.
I am also a non-executive director and Chair of Audit and Risk of the Serious Fraud Office the specialist body that investigates and prosecutes the top level of serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption.
I served on the board of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and was the APCC lead on Fraud, Economic and Cyber crime.
I was also the founder Chair of the National Cyber Resilience Group supporting the work of regional Cyber Resilience Centres and their aim of bolstering cyber resilience of SMEs.
For 12 years I was also a volunteer police officer, or Special Constable, with the City of London Police where I regularly dealt first hand with crime and crime prevention as a police officer patrolling the streets of the City and sometimes outside of it. In 2007 I was awarded Special Constable of the Year by the City Police.
Education – investing in our future
I am a governor of the Board of Governors of the City of London School and I am its immediate past Chairman.
I also served for 12 years on the development committee of an educational charity supporting students and teaching at Oxford University.
Financial and Professional Services – working in the City
I trained and qualified as a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in London where I specialised in financial services. I then spent 10 years in banking in the City at HSBC and Deutsche Bank advising companies, raising capital and focussing on the transport sector.
During that time I spent 3 years advising the ANC led Government of National Unity in South Africa on its Growth, Employment and Redistribution plan.
After banking I worked for Smiths Group plc, the UK based international engineering group. Prior to joining Keepmoat, I was finance director of DTZ (now part of Cushman & Wakefield), the property services firm, based in Walbrook in the Old Stock Exchange Tower.
Charity and Civic
Outside of my professional work and my role as a Common Councillor, I am an Assistant of the Grocers Company and a past Master (2022/23) – which itself is situated in the Ward of Walbrook – and where I actively support its charity fundraising and giving.
I am also a freeman of the Chartered Accountants’ Company being my professional livery association.
I am a churchwarden at St Stephen Walbrook situated in Walbrook Ward.
I was also previously on the committee of a local amenity body in Westminster for 10 years representing residents’ views on a wide range of issues including planning and licencing.
Further details and contacting me further
You will find further details on the pages of this website and by clicking here to access my Linked-In page.
I would like to hear about what matters to you in the City and Walbrook Ward. Click here for how to contact me.
Published and promoted by James Thomson