Access All AreasGordon Innes will vacate his role as CEO of London & Partners.
The board of the company, which is the mayor of London’s international promotional company, announced the departure earlier this week.
After joining London & Partners in 2011, Innes will leave the company tomorrow (14 October), to take up a private sector role in New York City.
The process to appoint a new chief executive is underway and being led by London & Partners’ chairman, and deputy mayor of London for Business and Enterprise, Rajesh Agrawal. It will include a global search to be carried out by Odgers Berndtson. In the interim, the role of chief executive will be filled by Andrew Cooke, the company’s chief operating officer and deputy chief executive.
Rajesh Agrawal, chairman of London & Partners said in a statement: “Gordon Innes has been instrumental in raising the reputation of London as a leading destination for inward investment, tourism, higher education and culture, and I wish him well for his next challenge. The board of London & Partners will now work diligently to appoint a successor and we will make a further announcement in due course.”
Since London & Partners was formed the company has secured London’s position as the world’s most popular visitor destination, with tourism numbers growing 20% and visitor spend growing 35%, as well as attracting investment and spend worth over £1.2bn, which has created or secured more than 38,000 additional jobs in London.
London & Partners has also retained London’s position as a top destination for foreign direct investment and a leading destination for international students and raised London’s ranking as a destination for international congresses from 19th to 5th with London now ranking 2nd for congress delegate numbers.
Gordon Innes said on his departure: “It has been an honour to serve London as the chief executive of London & Partners and I am enormously proud of the company’s success and extraordinary achievements. London is the most open, outward looking and welcoming city on earth. As a Londoner, married to a New Yorker, I will be enormously sad to leave. But I do so confident for London’s continued, global success.”