Mayor appoints new Deputy Mayor for Business to champion London across the globe

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has appointed Howard Dawber as his new Deputy Mayor for Business. 

Howard replaces Rajesh Agrawal, who stepped down from his role last month after being selected as a candidate in the next General Election. Howard will focus on championing London’s interests across the globe, banging the drum for the capital as a place to visit, expand to and invest in, and work to protect jobs and growth as London continues to recover following the pandemic. He will also focus on supporting the thousands of small and medium-sized businesses at the heart of London’s economy. 

Since Sadiq’s election in 2016, London’s economy has grown by 11 percent. Sadiq’s Mayoral programmes have created over 330,000 new jobs and supported over 12,000 businesses to start and scale up. The Mayor has also launched the biggest domestic tourism campaign in London’s history, Let’s Do London, to support the capital’s hospitality, retail, leisure and cultural industries. The campaign has helped bring an extra £346m and 850,000 more overnight visitors to the city. The London Living Wage has increased by 40 percent since Sadiq became Mayor, with a six-fold increase in the numbers of London employers paying the LLW.

Howard is best known for his work at Canary Wharf Group, which he joined in 2004. In nearly 20 years as Strategic Advisor and then Managing Director of Strategy for the company, he worked on the Crossrail (Elizabeth Line) project and on inward investment, tourism, events, technology and life sciences programmes and international engagement. Since 2022 he has run his own consultancy on infrastructure and development.

Howard has sat on boards for East London Business Association, Business LDN, TheCityUK, Gateway to London, Tour East London and is a former Board Member of London and Partners. He was also part of the London 2012 Olympics candidate city campaign and, in the run up to the Olympics, was the founder and then a Governor of the Legacy Trust UK, and then a trustee of Legacy List (now Foundation for Future London).

Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor for Business said: I am honoured and excited to join the Mayor’s team. There are so many great stories to tell about the amazing entrepreneurs and enterprises across the capital.”

“In a challenging economic environment for London’s companies, especially SMEs, Sadiq has stayed true to his promise of being the most pro-business Mayor ever.” 

“London is already among the top global destinations for tourism, for retail, for tech, for life sciences, culture, financial and business services, law and many other sectors.” 

“My job is to ensure that London is number one, so that all Londoners can benefit from the jobs and investment this brings.” 

“I can’t wait to get started working alongside the Mayor and his team.”

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London said: “I’ve pledged to be the most business-friendly Mayor that London has ever had. As we continue to recover from the pandemic it’s more important than ever that we showcase our capital as the best place for businesses to start up and scale up, and for tourists to visit. 

“Howard has a wealth of experience at the very centre of London’s business community. He has been involved in some of the most significant projects the capital has seen in recent years, including the Olympics and the Elizabeth Line. Howard gets as much as anyone that it’s the continued success of London’s businesses that will drive economic growth, not just in London but across the country.”

“I look forward to working with Howard to bring more jobs to the capital and banging the drum for London across the globe as I continue to work to build a better, fairer and more prosperous city for everyone.”

Craig Beaumont, Chief of External Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, said:  “This is an excellent choice for Deputy Mayor, and at a critical time for business in the capital and nationally, too.  Howard has a great track record as a business leader in our community, understanding the needs of SMEs.  We look forward to working with him on small businesses and the self-employed as we look to a major London election and the General Election to follow.”

Chris Hayward, City of London Corporation, Policy Chairman, said: “We welcome Howard’s appointment as Deputy Mayor for Business, his expertise and experience will be a real asset to London.

"The City Corporation will continue to work closely with the Greater London Authority to ensure that the capital remains the most open and attractive place to invest and do business in the world.”

Howard will take up his new position today - Monday 18th December 2023.