Peter Levene

Peter Levene   (businessman)
Born	8 December 1941
Nationality	British
Alma mater	City of London School, University of Manchester
Member of	Königswinter/Speakers, Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies, Tikehau Capital
Chief of Defence Procurement, then over to private banking.  Lord Mayor of London In office 1998 - 1999  UK/Chief of Defence Procurement In office 1985 - 1991

Peter Keith Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken is a banker. Having started as Advisor and Chief of Defence Procurement to the Secretary of State for Defence, and advisor to other government ministries, he went over to banking.

Lord Levene is Chairman of Starr Underwriting Agents Limited. Previously, he served as Chairman of Lloyd's of London, the world's leading specialist insurance and reinsurance market, from 2002–2011, after having been Vice Chairman of Deutsche Bank. Prior to this, he held the position of Chairman of Bankers Trust International and was formerly with both Morgan Stanley and Wasserstein Perella.

He was briefly Lord Mayor of London from 1998 to 1999.

Background

Levene was educated at the City of London School and then studied at the University of Manchester where he graduated with a degree in Economics and Political Science.

Career

He joined United Scientific Holdings in 1963, a small company which grew into a substantial supplier to UK and overseas Ministries of Defence. He eventually rose to the post of chairman of that group, in 1981.

Subsequently, he was asked by the then Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Heseltine, to act as his Personal Advisor in the MoD, and then as Permanent Secretary in the role of Chief of Defence Procurement, a position which he held for six years. As UK National Armaments Director, he was appointed as Chairman of the European National Armaments Directors 1989–1990.

He thereafter held a number of Government posts, as Advisor to the Secretary of State for the Environment; to the President of the Board of Trade; and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was appointed as Advisor to the Prime Minister (John Major) on Efficiency and Effectiveness from 1992 to 1997, producing a report, Efficiency Scrutiny into Construction Procurement by Government. in 1996. During this period, he was also Chairman of the Docklands Light Railway and then Chairman and Chief Executive of Canary Wharf Ltd. He was a member of the Board of Directors of J Sainsbury plc from 2001–2004, and of Total S.A., from 2005–11, and was Chairman of General Dynamics UK Ltd until 2019.

Lord Levene is Chairman of Starr Underwriting Agents Limited. Previously, he served as Chairman of Lloyd's of London, the world's leading specialist insurance and reinsurance market, from 2002–2011, after having been Vice Chairman of Deutsche Bank. Prior to this, he held the position of Chairman of Bankers Trust International and was formerly with both Morgan Stanley and Wasserstein Perella.

He was an Alderman of the City of London from 1994–2012 and as Sheriff of London from 1995–96. He was Lord Mayor of London for the year 1998–99, in which role he presided over the Corporation of the City of London, and supported and promoted London as an international financial centre. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1989 New Year Honours and was created a Life Peer on 22 July 1997 as Baron Levene of Portsoken, of Portsoken in the City of London; he sits as a crossbencher.

Lord Levene holds three other non-executive directorships in addition to Starr underwriting, as Chairman of Tikehau Capital Europe Ltd, and on the boards of Haymarket Media Group, and China Construction Bank.

He is a member of the House of Lords Finance Committee and was also a member of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. He was appointed by the Secretary of State for Defence in July 2010 to chair the Defence Reform Group, a body set up to review proposals for changes in structure in the UK Ministry of Defence. This body reported in June 2011 and their recommendations are now being implemented. He speaks French, German and Italian.

Family

Lord Levene is married to Wendy, Lady Levene, who is active in many charities. She is a trustee of the Jewish Museum. She had polymyalgia rheumatica and is a trustee of the associated charity, PMRGCA UK. In 1989, she launched HMS Argyll, a Royal Navy warship sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Paviors. They have three children - John Levene, born 1968, Nicole Walsh, born 1969, Tim Levene - born 1973, and ten grandchildren.

 

Events Participated in

Event	Start	End	Location(s)	Description
WEF/Annual Meeting/2004	21 January 2004	25 January 2004	World Economic Forum Switzerland	2068 billionaires, CEOs and their politicians and "civil society" leaders met under the slogan Partnering for Prosperity and Security. "We have the people who matter," said World Economic Forum Co-Chief Executive Officer José María Figueres.
WEF/Annual Meeting/2006	25 January 2006	29 January 2006	Switzerland	Both former US president Bill Clinton and Bill Gates pushed for public-private partnerships. Only a few of the over 2000 participants are known.
WEF/Annual Meeting/2007	24 January 2007	28 January 2007	Switzerland	Only the 449 public figures listed of ~2200 participants
WEF/Annual Meeting/2009	23 January 2009	27 January 2009	World Economic Forum Switzerland	Chairman Klaus Schwab outlined five objectives driving the Forum’s efforts to shape the global agenda, including letting the banks that caused the 2008 economic crisis keep writing the rules, the climate change agenda, over-national government structures, taking control over businesses with the stakeholder agenda, and a "new charter for the global economic order".
WEF/Annual Meeting/2011	26 January 2011	30 January 2011	World Economic Forum Switzerland	2230 guests in Davos, with the theme: "Shared Norms for the New Reality".
WEF/Annual Meeting/2012	25 January 2012	29 January 2012	World Economic Forum Switzerland	2113 guests in Davos

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