William Russell (Lord Mayor)

Educated at Eton and Durham University, graduating LLB, Russell started his career in financial services at First Boston in 1987, and joined Merrill Lynch in 1992,[3] working in Hong Kong, New York and London, before leaving in 2006.[4]

Since 2013 Alderman Russell represents Bread Street Ward on the City of London Corporation,[5] serving as Sheriff of the City of London for 2016–17, and was elected Lord Mayor on 1 October 2019, taking office before the Lord Mayor's Show on 9 November 2019.[6][7] He is also a Feltmaker and an Honorary Liveryman of the Paviors' Company.[8]

Russell is a member of the Advisory Board of Innovate Finance, an independent not-for-profit membership organisation serving the global FinTech community[9] and a Court Assistant to the Haberdashers' Company.[10]

The only son of Anthony Russell, a stockbroker, he is in remainder to the family baronetcy,[11] created for his great-great-uncle, Charles Russell, founder of the eponymous law firm.

Charlotte née Bowater, his mother, was from a Kentish family of paper packagers;[12] her father, Sir Ian Bowater GBE, was Lord Mayor of London for 1969–70, and his father Sir Frank Bowater, Lord Mayor for 1938–39.[6]

Damian Lewis is his maternal half-brother.[13][14]

• : KJStJ (2019)[15]
• : AM (2020)
• : Légion d'honneur (2020)
• : Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca (2020)
• : Order of Kuwait (2020)
• : Qatari State Order of Merit (2020)

Arms

Coat of arms of William Russell

Crest A Goat passant Argent armed Or charged on the body with three Trefoils slipped fesswise Vert Escutcheon Argent a Lion rampant Gules on a chief Sable three Escallops of the field the whole within a Bordure engrailed Vert Motto Che sera sera (Eng: What will be, will be) Orders Behind the Shield, the Badge of the Order of St John: Other elements Lord Mayor Russell impales the City of London arms (dexter) with his family arms (sinister):

• Lord Russell of Killowen
• Russell baronets