London & Partners is the business growth and destination agency for London. Its mission is to create economic growth that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive. It is a social enterprise, combining purpose with commercial rigour and as such it is funded by grants, partners and its portfolio of venture businesses.

The company's work helps to achieve good growth for London and Londoners, and has created over 75,000 jobs and £2.5 billion in economic growth since its foundation in 2011. Its major areas of activity are:

• High-growth sectors — supporting international and domestic businesses in high-growth sectors to scale through its investment, trade, growth and innovation programmes
• Visitor Economy — attracting visitors and events and developing London as a world-class destination
• London Brand — growing London’s global reputation to support economic growth
• Partnership and Ventures — creating partnerships and profit-making ventures to reinvest into its economic growth activity

London & Partners’ commercial income comes from partnerships and other activity tied to its mission-driven work, and a portfolio of more directly commercial activities ranging from e-commerce to managing the Dot London domain business. It has offices in London, Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is currently expanding its international presence with new offices in Paris, Berlin, Shenzhen, Bangalore and Chicago.  

London & Partners is looking for an engaged and committed individual to join the Board under the leadership of Chair, Ragesh Agrawal (Deputy Mayor of London for Business), and play a key role in scrutinising the commercial strategy of the group as Non-Executive Director and a member of the Commercial Sub-committee

This is a new appointment, and will give candidates an opportunity to shape and deepen London & Partners’ commercial capabilities and outcomes. The successful candidate will be able to put their commercial expertise to use in a new environment, to broaden their horizons and give something back to London.

Responsibilities of the new Non-Executive Director and member of the Commercial Sub-committee will include:

• Being responsible for the management of the company’s business, as set out in the Articles of Association
• Providing strategic leadership and help facilitate the development of strategies, policies and plans to discharge London & Partners purposes
• Monitoring and scrutinise the performance of London & Partners and its Executive team, to ensure that it meets its strategic objectives and targets
• Promoting the highest standards of propriety, best practice and the efficient and effective use of staff and resources
• Attending and representing London & Partners at various events hosted by London & Partners and its partners
• Acting as an Ambassador for London & Partners and London
• Mentoring, advising and supporting the Executive team
• Making introductions to relevant networks and contacts that will assist London & Partners activities
• Participating in the full range of non-executive duties, including financial and risk management; succession planning of the Board and Executive team; effective corporate governance

The Commercial Sub-committee is a sub-committee of the Main Board, with membership of at least two independent non-executive members of the Main Board with relevant commercial experience. The Sub-committee’s remit covers commercial strategy, business cases, new product development, monitoring income-generating activity, and thinking about structure, skills, tools and processes for commercial growth.

London & Partners is seeking a Non-Executive Director to join its Board, and a newly-established Commercial Sub-committee. They will bring experience in strategic investments, whether from a venture capital background or in a successful, high-growth company or in large, complex businesses, and be able to advise the Board on identifying and developing commercial opportunities.

As London & Partners looks to optimise and expand its offering by developing new, innovative products in the areas of e-commerce and merchandising, it is particularly interested in those with experience in these areas. The successful candidate will be able to advise on potential new revenue streams, whether through capitalising on its Visit London audiences or building brand partnership / sponsorship opportunities.

Most importantly, the successful candidate will understand and live the seven principles of public life — selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. London & Partners will also take into consideration the benefits of appointing a Board which collectively has a broad range of experience and expertise across a diverse range of sectors, geographies and professional skills.

London & Partners welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. As the Board does not yet fully reflect the ethnic, LGBTQ+ and socioeconomic diversity of London, applications from individuals with such backgrounds would be particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where diverse candidates can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

Appointments will be for a three-year term and this role is unremunerated. By convention, expenses are only paid for representational duties in addition to attendance at Board and Sub-Committee meetings. The successful candidate will be required to attend four half-day meetings a year, with a strong preference for in-person attendance. The Sub-Committee meeting can be attended virtually as this is usually a short 45-minute meeting.