Ian Thomas CBE

  Powerlistee
  Public Sector & Third Sector

Ian Thomas is the 51st town clerk and chief executive of the City of London Corporation.

The Corporation, with its thousand years of history, is the government of the Square Mile, representing the UK’s financial and professional services sector on a global stage. It is guided by a mission to create a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK.

Since February 2023, Ian has led a team of more than 4,000 people, overseeing an eclectic mix of services and offers. The City is in effect the engine of the UK economy, representing 2.3m employees and contributing £110bn in taxes annually for UK Plc. It is also home to the City of London Police, the lead force nationally for cybercrime and fraud.

The City also boasts assets under management valued at £4bn as well as leading cultural institutions including Europe’s largest performing arts centre, The Barbican, and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Prior to this role, Ian was CEO of Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, working with members, staff and partners to deliver its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a £1.2bn regeneration programme. In 2019, he was made a CBE for leadership in local government and children’s services.

He led the turnaround of Rotherham council’s Children’s Services after it was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted following the 2014 Jay report that exposed the child sexual exploitation of children in the area. At the end of his term, the service was rated ‘good’ overall with ‘outstanding’ features.

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