About the Gala Evening 

Established in 2014, Reflections of The Lord Mayor is an opportunity to hear a former Lord Mayor of the City of London reflect on their year as holder of one of the oldest continuously elected civic offices in the world, with a history dating back to the 12th century.

At the 8th Reflections of The Lord Mayor Gala Evening our Reflections speaker is Alderman Vincent Keaveny, the 693rd Lord Mayor of London. We are privileged to hear from the first Irish Lord Mayor of London – and a member of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers – in the august surroundings of Stationers’ Hall.

Alderman Keaveny will reflect on some of the key missions and ambitions of his Mayoralty. His theme for his Reflections – ‘Innovation and Tradition in a Year of Change’ – will include insights from a year that encompassed two monarchs and three prime ministers.

During his time in office, our former Lord Mayor focused on areas such as improving social mobility in the financial services sector by helping to bring in and then promote people from diverse and less privileged backgrounds. He also targeted what he termed “the COP26 legacy work” and the part the City of London must now play in fighting climate change.

After Alderman Keaveny’s talk, there will be a break from proceedings for dessert. Guests will be invited to note down any questions they may have, as our former Lord Mayor will then return to the stage for a live Q&A session.

Reflections is a non-profit, with a surplus from proceeds of the Gala Evening going to charities nominated by our Lord Mayor speaker.

For 2023, the nominated charity is The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE).  As such, Reflections of The Lord Mayor offers a range of opportunities to align your organisation with an event that celebrates both an important part of the capital’s heritage and its contemporary business and community life. You can support us in a number of ways – through individual or group (table) ticket purchases, by advertising within our programme or by becoming one of our valued event sponsors.

While the event has the office of Lord Mayor at its heart, another important element is celebrating professional talent and inspiring young people to engage with their community and heritage. In 2017, the first professional Roundel competition was held, helping to celebrate the ancient art of stained-glass painting and design, and stimulate interest in its contemporary practice. This has been expanded to engage with young people via separate amateur competitions for primary-age children and Army, Air and Sea Cadets (CCF) in the London region. In both cases, we have been privileged to have the support of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers & Painters of Glass.

In 2023, once again, musicians from the Royal College of Music Junior Department will be performing for guests. We will be introducing the recipient of the 2023 Reflections of The Lord Mayor Junior Musician Award in Music, who will be performing several pieces at this Gala Evening.

The combination of contributions to Lord Mayor-nominated charities and competitions targeting young artists and musicians adds a ‘giving back’ element to proceedings that meets Reflections’ founding aim to celebrate civic life and the life of the capital.

Provisional Timeline

Confirmed Guests

Alderman Vincent Keaveny, 693rd Lord Mayor of London
Amanda Keaveny
Alderman Sir David Wootton, 684th Lord Mayor of London
Dame Fiona Woolf DBE DL, 686th Lord Mayor of London
Ambassador Hayashi Hajime, Embassy of Japan in the UK
Madame Dr Hayashi, Embassy of Japan in the UK
Jane Anderson, Platinums PMA
Ian Davies, Platinums PMA
Gillian Davies, Platinums PMA
Daphne Cave, Platinums PMA
Barry Theobald-Hicks, Platinums PMA
Mark Hardy, Platinums PMA
Mary Hardy, Platinums PMA
Alderman Alison Gowman, Platinums PMA
Stuart Castledine, Platinums PMA
Christine Castledine, Platinums PMA
Dr Trevor Brignall, Platinums PMA
Shailendra Umradia CC, Platinums PMA
Mei Sim Lai OBE DL, British Malaysian Society
Jeremy Giles, WTT Group
Tom Wallace, WTT Group
Steve Raize, Trowers & Hamlins LLP
Sean Wylde,
Farhan Farani, Farani Taylor
Lady Lucy French OBE, Fleet Street Quarter
Michael Hockney MBE, The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch
Azad Ayub, Azad Ayub Limited
Regina Tierney-Ayub, Azad Ayub Limited
Major AHS Gabb TD, The Company of Pikemen & Musketeers
Ensign Chris Huxtable, The Company of Pikemen & Musketeers
Kevin Parry OBE, Nationwide Building Society/Royal London
Catherine Parry, Close Brothers Asset Management
Henry Tillman, Co-Founder, Asia Investment Research
Non-Uniformed Volunteer Nolan Price, Alleyn’s School CCF
Cadet Ella Semple, Alleyn’s School CCF
Hugh Semple
Clare Semple
Lieutenant Colonel Scott Benest, HQ London District
Petty Officer (SCC) Tilly Wheate, Brentwood Sea Cadets
Miles Hayward, 2022 CVQO Westminster Award Recipient
Philippa Stary, City Livery Club
David Pearson, Past Master, The Worshipful Company of Marketors
John May, Master, The Worshipful Company of Paviors
Lizette May, Mistress, The Worshipful Company of Paviors
Emeritus Professor Chris O’Brien, Nottingham University Business School
Dorothy O’Brien, The Laligurash Foundation Nepal
Mr Jan Pavlica, The Worshipful Company of International Bankers
Chris Porter, Immediate Past Master – Worshipful Company of Distillers
Peter Baxendell, The Worshipful Company of Weavers
John Mitchell, Royal College of Music
Brendan Barns CC, Farringdon Within
Natallia Bunkevich
Belinda Donovan, The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London
Nicholas Wood
Dr Theodora Kalentzi, Medical Prime Menopause Clinic
David Stringer-Lamarre, Fortis Consulting London
Erica Stary, The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers
Sheila Cavanagh, Emory University
Richard Salter, LEGO Group
Hazel Shirley BEM, St John Ambulance
Sierra Cheong, Business in Globe Company Limited
Jacqueline Chan, Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers
Laurent Chan, University of Oxford
Leng Hah, British Malaysia Society
Sharon Lai, DKLM LLP
Paul Chu, Atkins
Rie Hamaguchi, Osaka Prefectural Government
Angela Noble, Impax Asset Managers
Sylviane Cheong, Business in Globe Company Limited
Jonathan Tieu, Business in Globe Company Limited
Olivia Lai, British Malaysia Society
Virginia Bond, Worshipful Company of Cooks
Chi Wai Lu, Lu Oliphant Solicitors LLP
Carol Tullo OBE, The Trust Bridge™
Paul Bowers Isaacson, The Worshipful Company of Educators
Dr Lisa Bowers Isaacson, Florida State University London Centre
Mrs Gloria McGregor, Liveryman, The Worshipful Company of Educators
John McGregor OBE, Past Master of The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers
Mrs Julie Galvin, Liveryman, The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers
Mr Michael Galvin
John Harding CBE, Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Educators and Spectacle Makers
Felicity Harding OBE, Past Master of The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers
Nanette Young, Young Scott & Company
Santanu Vasant, University of the Arts London
Ray O’Halloran, Derwent London Engineering
Fiona Keddie, Nord Anglia Education
Air Commodore Catherine Coton, Ministry of Defence
Air Vice-Marshal Richard Hill, Ministry of Defence
Lala Thorpe, Southbank Centre
Professor Peter Stokes, Leicester Castle Business School
Commander James Nisbet, HMS President
Dr Nicholas Wilkinson, Auxin Services
Professor David W Holt, The Worshipful Company of Firefighters
Richard Steedman, Citizen and Clockmaker
Dr Yildiz Kara, Society 5.0 Institute, Managing Director
Siobhan Rimmer
Julia Gonyou
Petty Officer Ami Haralambous, Rickmansworth and Watford Sea Cadets Unit
Elena Secobeanu, Azad Ayub Limited
Faizan Tariq, Azad Ayub Limited
Marta Nistor, Azad Ayub Limited
Asim Chughtai
Yousaf Ali
Timur Ekingen
Marianna Cherry, WC of Glaziers & Painters of Glass
David Cherry
Elizabeth Morley, ELIMJ Consulting (Social Media Marketing Agency)
Keith Budhai, Product Owner-Capital Markets at London Stock Exchange Group
Argentina Hung
Paul Benbow
Peter Alvey
Dr Hiu Man Chan
Yan Yan
Dan Hassan
Yucel Hassan
Vidal Emmanuel Claye
Sia Isata Jimmy
Syeda Kauzar