TheCityUK International Conference 2023

TheCityUK International Conference 2023, in partnership with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and HSBC and supported by State Street, took place in April to a capacity crowd in London and online.

The conference brought together influential leaders from across the financial and related professional services industry, politics and the regulators to discuss the key commercial drivers and themes that will guide business strategies and underpin the UK’s status as a world-leading international financial centre.

Through a series of keynotes, panel sessions and discussions the conference focused on the challenges and opportunities for the industry in the global context, covering issues such as investment and growth, transformative innovation, the net-zero transition and international trade and investment trends. We will announce the date of the 2024 conference soon, but in the meantime you can watch the recordings from this year's event:

 

 

Chair’s Address

Anne Richards DBE, Board Chair, TheCityUK

Keynote speech

Ian Stuart, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC UK Bank Plc

Panel session: Driving the transition to net zero in a turbulent geopolitical environment

  • Anne Marie Verstraeten, Vice Chair UK, BNP Paribas (Chair)
  • Seb Henbest, Global Head of Climate Transition, HSBC Holdings Plc
  • Sarah Kemmitt, Head of Secretariat, UN Net-Zero Banking Alliance
  • Rick Lacaille, Global Head of ESG, State Street
  • Jake Reynolds, Head of Client Sustainability and Environment, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Panel session: The future trends in international trade and investment

  • Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation (Chair)
  • Wei Li, Managing Director and Chief Global Investment Strategist, BlackRock
  • Simon Manley, UK Permanent Representative, World Trade Organization
  • Martin McElwee, Partner, Antitrust, Competition and Trade, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
  • Ayuna Nechaeva, Head of Europe-Primary Markets, London Stock Exchange Group and Chair of TheCityUK EMEA Market Advisory Group

Keynote speech

Lord Johnson of Lainston CBE, Minister for Investment, Department for Business and Trade

Panel session: How do financial and related professional services better support global innovation in the wider economy

  • Louise Brett, Vice Chair, Deloitte, and Chair of TheCityUK Tech and Innovation Group (Chair)
  • Edward Bowles, Global Head of FinTech, Meta
  • Benjamin Kumpf, Head of Innovation for Development, OECD Development Co-operation Directorate
  • Louise Smith, Global Digital Leader, WTW
  • Claire Suddens-Spiers, Partner, Global Head of Equity Advisory, Rothschild & Co

Keynote speech

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade

Platinum sponsors:

Gold sponsor:

Agenda

Timings

Event

08:30 – 09:00

Registration and breakfast

09:00 – 09:05

Opening remarks
Miles Celic, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK

09:05 – 09:15

Chair's address
Anne Richards DBE, Board Chair, TheCityUK

09:15 – 09:30

Keynote speech
Ian Stuart, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC UK Bank Plc

09:30 – 10:15

Panel session
Driving the transition to net zero in a turbulent geopolitical environment

  • Anne Marie Verstraeten, Vice Chair UK, BNP Paribas (Chair)
  • Seb Henbest, Global Head of Climate Transition, HSBC Holdings Plc
  • Sarah Kemmitt, Head of Secretariat, UN Net-Zero Banking Alliance
  • Rick Lacaille, Global Head of ESG, State Street
  • Jake Reynolds, Head of Client Sustainability and Environment, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

10:15 – 10:45

Coffee break

10:45 – 11:30

Panel session
The future trends in international trade and investment

  • Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation (Chair)
  • Wei Li, Managing Director and Chief Global Investment Strategist, BlackRock
  • Simon Manley, UK Permanent Representative, World Trade Organization
  • Martin McElwee, Partner, Antitrust, Competition and Trade, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
  • Ayuna Nechaeva, Head of Europe-Primary Markets, London Stock Exchange Group and Chair of TheCityUK EMEA Market Advisory Group

11:30 – 11:45

Keynote speech
Lord Johnson of Lainston CBE, Minister for Investment, Department for Business and Trade

11:45 – 12:30

Panel session
How does the financial and related professional services better support global innovation in the wider economy

  • Louise Brett, Vice Chair, Deloitte, and Chair of TheCityUK Tech and Innovation Group (Chair)
  • Edward Bowles, Global Head of FinTech, Meta
  • Benjamin Kumpf, Head of Innovation for Development, OECD Development Co-operation Directorate
  • Louise Smith, Global Digital Leader, WTW
  • Claire Suddens-Spiers, Partner, Global Head of Equity Advisory, Rothschild & Co

12:30 – 12:45

Keynote speech
Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade

12:45 – 12:50

Closing remarks
Miles Celic, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK

12:50 – 13:50

Networking Lunch