Pavior Micheal Bear is the new Lord Mayor of London
Update written Tuesday 9th November 2010
Alderman and Pavior
Michael Bear was elected the new Lord Mayor of London by City Liverymen at their
Common Hall in the Guildhall on 29th September. The Worshipful Company of Paviors
congratulates Michael on his election, and considers this a great honour both for
Michael and the Company. Michael is the 683rd
Lord Mayor. He is also the seventh Pavior to hold this position since the beginning of the 20th Century.
Prior to taking office,
Michael required the Approbation of the Monarch. This was granted on 18th October
at the House of Lords, and celebrated that evening at Cutlers’ Hall with a Presentation
Dinner. This Dinner was attended by the Sheriffs, Aldermen and other City dignitaries,
as well as the Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State
for Justice. Also present were the hosting Master and Wardens of the Paviors, Engineers,
Chartered Surveyors and Security Professionals, all Livery Companies of which Michael
is a member. Michael took office officially at the Silent Ceremony, held in the
Great Hall, Guildhall, on 12th November and swore the Oath of Allegiance at the
Royal Courts of Justice during the Lord Mayor’s Show the following day.
Role of the Lord Mayor
The modern Lord Mayor
is the Head of the City of London Corporation, which provides business and local
government services to the City. He presides over the City of London’s governing
bodies: the Court of Aldermen and the Court of Common Council. He resides in the
Mansion House during his term of office. The Lord Mayor’s principal role today is
as an ambassador for all UK-based financial and professional services. The role
is apolitical and, despite being unpaid, is exceptionally demanding. The Lord Mayor
addresses some 10,000 people face-to-face each month, making around 700 speeches
during his year of office. The Lord Mayor represents City business and advises the
government on the functioning of the financial services sector. The Lord Mayor spends
some 90 days abroad representing the City and is treated overseas as a Cabinet-level
Minister.
Alderman Michael Bear following his election as Lord Mayor of London
at the Guildhall on 29th September 2010
Michael has chosen
that this year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal will be ‘Bear Necessities: Building Better
Lives’. This will be on behalf of the children’s charity ‘Coram’ and the Register
of Engineers for Disaster Relief ‘RedR’. The Appeal aims to help 10,000 children
and their families, and train 4,000 relief workers.
Michael Bear
Michael Bear was
admitted as a Liveryman of the Paviors Company in 2002, and is currently a member
of the Court of Assistants. Professionally, he is a civil engineer, currently holding
the positions of Regeneration Director of Hammerson plc, Managing Director of Balfour
Beatty Property and non-executive director of Arup. His career has been anything
but traditional. The son of a South African geologist working for the British Colonial
Service, Michael was born in Kenya, went to primary school in Cyprus, boarding school
in Bristol, and obtained his first degree at a South African university.
Michael Bear opening the last phase of the Spitalfields Development with the then Lord Mayor of London
Michael’s civil engineering
career started with airport design and construction, initially throughout Southern
Africa and subsequently in Northern Ireland with Sir Frederick Snow & Partners.
He took a year out in 1980/81 to study for an MBA at Cranfield University and then
joined Balfour Beatty. Here he developed renewal energy projects in China, Nigeria
and Cameroon. He then moved into property development with London and Edinburgh
Trust, but subsequently moved back to Balfour Beatty as Managing Director of property.
Here, he worked on PFI/PPP projects and was responsible for a large development
portfolio, including acting as Chief Executive for the Spitalfields development
in the City of London, now owned by Hammerson. Michael is a Fellow of the Institution
of Civil Engineers, a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and
a Founder Member of the British Council of Offices. A highlight of this year was
his election as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Michael Bear at the opening of Temple Bar in its new location with Past Master John Mills
The Spitalfields
development whetted Michael’s appetite for regeneration and community involvement,
and in 1993 he was appointed chairman of the City Challenge public/private sector
partnership for Tower Hamlets. This focused on improving a run-down inner-city area
adjacent to the City of London. His role then extended to board positions on successor
companies and charity work in Bangladesh. These activities brought him into contact
with many residents of Bangladeshi origin living in the Portsoken Ward of the City
of London. In 2003, Michael was elected a common councillor for the predominantly
residential Portsoken Ward, where he put his regeneration skills to work in tackling
the inner-city problems that beset local residents. The following year he was elected
Deputy Alderman for the Ward, and made Alderman in 2005. This required him to sit
as a magistrate on the City Bench. Michael served as a Sheriff of the City of London
in 2007/8 - a role that also involved, on a rota, unlocking the Royal Courts of
Justice at the Old Bailey.
Michael with his wife, Barbara (L), and (R) Past Master Andrew Panter and his wife Tui
Michael’s other voluntary
work has included charity projects in Africa, Bangladesh and throughout the UK.
He is a Director of CRASH, Spitalfields Market Community Trust, The Drinking Fountain
Association, and is a Governor of the Sir John Cass Foundation and primary school,
Thomas Coram Foundation for Children, Clifton College, Hackney City Academy, the
City Arts Trust, and of the London South Bank University.
Michael is married
to Barbara, who is a Liveryman of the Musicians Company, a qualified teacher, musician,
artist and therapist in complementary medicine. They have two teenage children,
Amy and Marc. Michael lists his hobbies as wine, opera, rugby, tennis and theatre.