Catherine McGuinness CBE

Catherine brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked for decades across finance, law and public policy. She is the immediate past Chair of the City of London’s Policy & Resources Committee, where she served a five-year term from 2017 – 2022.

As Policy Chair she played a leading role in the City’s work with the financial and related professional services sector.  She was deputy chair of The CityUK, and a member of the Professional & Business Services Council (where she still co-chairs the International Trade Group).  As one of London’s leaders she was also an active participant in London Councils, sitting on the Leaders’ Committee and Executive Committee.

Catherine provides crucial insight having worked on initiatives that align with the Catapult’s innovation imperatives of levelling up and net zero. She has a track record of working on social mobility and education and has been chairing a government-commissioned taskforce aimed at boosting socio-economic diversity at senior levels in UK financial and professional services.

She has been closely involved in a number of green finance initiatives, was a director of the Green Finance Institute, and is a member of the UK Voluntary Carbon Markets Forum, the Distinguished Advisory Group of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, and the Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services.

A solicitor by training, she practised in financial services law for several years, and continues to chair the City of London LawTech Sounding Board.