By
Published by London Business Matters (September/October 2026), London Chamber of Commerce & Industry, pages 16-17.
Built On Heritage, Tuned For Today
If you were drafting governance for a global business hub today, you probably wouldn’t start in 1881.
Yet that is how the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s (LCCI) governance began, founded at Mansion House to champion trade, represent business, and solve practical problems for members. Those aims have stood the test of time. The structures supporting them, however, need the occasional refit. I know, I lived in the Grade I listed Mansion House, built in 1752, in 2023-2024 as Lord Mayor. From installing gas to electricity to telephones to wifi, upgrades are essential to survival.
After two years of detailed work, extensive consultation, and a healthy dose of member scrutiny, the LCCI Board is unanimously recommending a modernised governance framework. Not to change what the Chamber does, but to ensure it does it faster, better, and more accountable. In this short paper, I will set out why I support the changes and am asking members to do the same via the AGM voting process.
The Objective: Better Decisions, Stronger Voice
At last year’s AGM, members approved updates to the Articles of Association. These trace their lineage back to the Victorian era and, while periodically revised, have now been aligned more closely with the Companies Act 2006 Model Articles. This is less revolution, more renovation.
The reforms have four clear aims:
Crucially, nothing here alters the Chamber’s purpose or members’ rights. This is about execution, how effectively LCCI converts member insight into action.
What’s Changing?
A Board that reflects business reality - non-executive directors will now serve fixed three-year terms, renewable (with member approval). This replaces retirement by rotation with something more transparent and performance-focused.
The majority of non-executive Board members—up to nine—will come directly from LCCI’s membership networks. In other words, the Board will look and think more like the businesses it represents. Where specialist expertise is needed, independent directors can be brought in. Think of it as strengthening the bench without losing the team.
A Council That Is Clarified, Not Curtailed
Let’s tackle the obvious question: what does this mean for the Council? The Council will remain the principal advisory mechanism through which members influence policy, strategy, and direction (with the Board concentrating on governance and oversight). The Council’s role will be more clearly defined as it will:
If the Board steers, the Council navigates. Now the map is clearer.
Bye-Laws That Open Doors, Not Close Them
The updated bye-laws bring long-overdue clarity and consistency. More importantly, they create transparent pathways for members to step forward as Policy Committee Chairs, deputies, committee members, or network participants.
This is a shift from passive membership to active participation. The Chamber works best when its members are not just represented but involved.
Skills, Standards, And A Bit Of Discipline
A formal skills matrix ensures the Board and the Council reflect the breadth of London’s business ecosystem. The Council’s Code of Conduct has also been refreshed, reinforcing expectations of professionalism and accountability. In governance, as in markets, clarity beats ambiguity.
“Why Now?”
The answer is simple. This is the culmination of sustained work over years, not a sudden idea. The Governance Committee consulted widely with Board, Council, and members via this spring’s survey – as well as external advisors – and their collective feedback has been hugely beneficial in shaping the proposals that we are tabling for member approval. The process has been deliberately inclusive and iterative.
And if the reforms were not adopted? The status quo would remain—a governance framework that the Chamber’s own leadership does not consider best practice. That is not where a leading global business organisation should be. London’s economy moves at digital speed; governance should not run on steam.
The Payoff: Governance That Delivers
Good governance is not an end in itself but a means to better outcomes. A modernised LCCI will be better able to:
In short, sharper governance, stronger advocacy.
What Happens Next
I fully support these proposals and I hope that you will too. Voting is a fast and easy process! If the new framework is approved at the September 2026 AGM, updated bye-laws will be finalised and published, and the Council will convene to take forward the outcomes. The process has also sparked wider conversations on membership value, international strategy, and engagement with government. These are not side effects; they are part of the point.
Old Roots, New Wiring
Governance reviews are like software upgrades: occasionally unexpected, sometimes disruptive, but essential to performance, bringing perspective, challenging stale practices, and encouraging aspirations. LCCI has never stood still. It pioneered commercial education, helped shape international arbitration, opened trade channels around the world, and has consistently adapted to support London’s evolving economy. This is the latest chapter in that story.
The mission remains. The membership remains. The voice remains. But the wiring is being upgraded. In a city that prides itself on being the world’s leading commercial centre, we know the importance of keeping up with the upgrades.