Candidature of Alderman Robert Hughes-Penney for the Sheriff of the City of London 2025 - 2026

To the members of the Livery of the City of London

My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Supported by my colleagues on the Court of Aldermen, I offer myself as a candidate for the ancient office of Sheriff of the City of London for 2025/26 and would be most grateful for your support. 

Born in Brazil and spending some of my childhood in South Africa, I attended the Haberdashers’ Aske’s School after returning to the UK. Graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I was commissioned into the 13^th/18^th Royal Hussars (QMO) and served in Canada, Germany and the UK. In 1993 I entered the City with stockbrokers Laurence Keen.

Since then, I have spent over three decades in the financial services sector, primarily as an Investment Director at Rathbones, managing global multi-asset portfolios. I also served on the Board, Executive and Management Committees of the main operating company, chaired several key business initiatives, and now representing the company on TheCityUK Business Council. I also chair the Audit and Risk Committee of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.

Following eight years as a Common Councilman I was elected Alderman for the Ward of Cheap in 2018. I chaired the Investment Committee and the Financial Investment Board and have served on several other Corporation Committees and am on the Board of the Impact Investing Institute.

I am privileged to be a member of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, a Past Master of the Guild of Investment Managers, and serve as Patron and President of the Ward of Cheap Club. These connect me to the City’s unique civic and livery traditions.

Alongside my professional and civic responsibilities, I have sought to give back through charitable and spiritual service. This includes the Army Central Fund, Morden College, Samuel Wilson Loan Trust, Templeton Education & Charity Trust, and the City Prayer Breakfast.

My family’s connection to the City stretches back generations; forebears were bone, horn and tallow chandlers. I am proud that this connection continues with two of my three children working in the City and Canary Wharf.  I am supported by my wife, Elspeth, a former City corporate lawyer, a member of the Goldsmiths' Company, and the Advisory Committee of the Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund.

In all that I do, I am guided by the principles that have shaped my career and public service, as expressed in the mottos of Sandhurst and the Haberdashers: “Serve to Lead” and “Serve and Obey.”

If elected, I will carry out my duties with diligence, respect the traditions of the role, and work closely with my colleagues in the civic team. I would be most grateful for your support.

I have the honour to be, my Lords, Ladies and gentlemen, your obedient servant.

Alderman and Haberdasher

As your Alderman I am in a position to use my experience to lead the Ward civic team and represent you, your interests and your business. After many meetings with voters I have learned that the following are the most important priorities for our Ward:

• Ensuring Cheap remains an attractive and pleasant area in which to come and work;
• Building community and networks amongst workers and businesses for their mutual benefit;
• Whatever the Brexit outcome, protecting the best interests of the City;
• Championing responsible investment and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals;
• Harnessing the City’s traditional expertise with its growing technology skills to create the world’s leading fintech hub;
• Continuing my ongoing commitment to charity and caring for those in need;
  
  

Please click here to see my official profile including my committee appointments at The City Of London Corporation.

Leading the world

The Corporation of London plays a vital role in supporting and promoting London as the world’s leading financial and business centre, partnering with local communities to increase opportunities for all Londoners, and enhancing the capital as a culture hub. It is headed by the Lord Mayor, who with the other elected members, comprising Aldermen and Common Councillors make up the Court of Common Council that is the Corporation’s primary decision-making assembly. My belief is that the City and all its constituent parts play an essential role in setting the standard, leading the way and influencing ethical and effective global business practices to the benefit of all. Click here to see how the Corporation makes decisions.

Meeting Challenges

The City of London plays a pivotal role in supporting society and the global effort to address challenges, from the cost-of-living to climate change. Alongside these, the City must continue to learn to adapt to a future outside of the European Union, cope with a growing regulatory burden and address the increasingly unsustainable levels of public, private and personal debts that are widening divisions within society. As your elected representative, I am prioritising these issues and mobilising the City to find creative solutions, championing the need for a plan for economic growth for the nation, as well as growth in productivity in the City. For example, I have been heartened by initiatives such as the launch of the Mansion House Compact, which aims to have 5% of pension assets invested in future growth companies to deliver stronger growth for pension funds and thus more comfortable retirements for pensioners.

A Thriving City

For the City to thrive in the future, we must make some important adjustments. As we embrace the merits of remote and flexible working, we must also ensure that our urban centre does not become less relevant and is instead utilised more intelligently to add value to professional life. Crucially, there is an imperative to restore the City’s reputation as a bastion of society’s interests by improving standards of conduct in financial services and expanding its charitable contributions. Since the pandemic, we have seen several measures come into play that work towards these goals, but there is more to be done. By serving on the Finance Committee overseeing the management of the City’s multi-million finances, sitting on the Board of the Impact Investing Institute and welcoming a host of other conferences and events that bring together those with the capacity to drive change, I am confident in our collective ability to make a positive difference.