Michael Mainelli

Alderman
Michael Mainelli
KStJ OMRI
Mainelli in 2023
695th Lord Mayor of the City of London
In office
10 November 2023 – 8 November 2024
Preceded bySir Nicholas Lyons
Succeeded byAlastair King
Sheriff of the City of London
In office
27 September 2019 – 1 October 2021
Preceded byVincent Keaveny
Succeeded bySir Nicholas Lyons
Personal details
BornMichael Raymond Mainelli
(1958-12-19) 19 December 1958 (age 67)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Spouse
Elisabeth Reuß
​
(m. 1996)​
Children3
EducationBishop Moore High School, Orlando, Florida
Alma materHarvard University (BA)
Trinity College Dublin
London School of Economics (MPhil, PhD)
Occupation
Awards
 KStJ
OMRI
Websitemainelli.org

Michael Raymond Mainelli KStJ OMRI (born 19 December 1958) is an American-born British scientist, economist, and accountant, known for being Chairman of Z/Yen, Sheriff of the City of London for 2019–21, and the 695th Lord Mayor of the City of London for 2023/24.

An Emeritus Professor of Commerce of Gresham College, and founder of the Long Finance initiative, Mainelli has been Alderman for Broad Street Ward in the City of London since 4 July 2013, and was elected Sheriff on 24 June 2019, serving for two terms.

Early life and education

His mother, Katherine (née Smith), and father, Michael Mainelli, are Irish American and Italian American respectively, and his paternal grandmother is of German descent. His father worked as a mechanical engineer, and at one time was a project manager on the Apollo capsule for Boeing.

From 1973 to 1977, Mainelli attended Bishop Moore High School in Orlando, Florida where he was first introduced to computing and spent three summers working as a programmer for Martin Marietta on missile guidance systems.

Mainelli attended Harvard University where he was a resident of Dunster House and graduated with a BA degree in Government in 1984, including a year reading Engineering and Mathematics at Trinity College Dublin (1980/81). Mainelli later completed an MPhil (1997) and PhD (2004) at the London School of Economics in chaotic systems with a doctoral thesis titled Development of a risk-reward meta-methodology, under the supervision of Ian Angell.

Career

Early career

Mainelli's early research in aerospace and computer graphics at the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis led him to start Swiss companies in seismology, cartography, and energy information for Petroconsultants, an oil and gas information services company, from 1979 to 1984. He produced Mundocart, a complete 1:1,000,000 digital map of the world for use in petroleum mapping in 1983, while directing the Geodat cartography project. Mainelli left Petroconsultants in 1985, and joined Arthur Andersen a year later as a senior manager. He later became a senior partner and board member of the accountancy firm BDO Binder Hamlyn from 1987 to 1995.

While co-founding Z/Yen in 1994, Mainelli pursued merchant banking with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell and was Corporate Development Director at the UK Ministry of Defence's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (now largely Qinetiq and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory). At Z/Yen, Mainelli established the Global Financial Centres Index, the London Accord, Long Finance, the Global Intellectual Property Index, the Global Green Finance Index, the Smart Centres Index, the Farsight Award, and other financial services initiatives. His area of current research includes Distributed Futures and he speaks on his research on 'smart ledgers' (aka blockchains) as well as other technologies.

Present day

A Fellow and Trustee of Gresham College, Mainelli is a visiting professor of UCL's Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, Honorary Fellow of King's College London, an Economic and Business Faculty Fellow of Goodenough College, and a former Visiting Professor of the London School of Economics. He is the current Chairman of Z/Yen Group. In 2005 Mainelli, in conjunction with Gresham College, the City of London Corporation and financial institutions, launched Long Finance's London Accord, an agreement to share environmental, social and governance research with policy makers and the public. Mainelli has lectured on new concepts of money and the role of government, publishing 28 one-hour Gresham lectures, while serving as Professor of Commerce from 2005 to 2009. The theme of his programme was "Society’s Commercial Choice – Risks and Rewards of Markets".

Mainelli is a chartered certified accountant (FCCA), computer specialist (FBCS, CITP), securities professional (Hon. FCSI) and management consultant (FIMC, CMC). He is a non-executive Director of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and Wishbone Gold plc, an AIM-quoted company. He has been an international member of the International Financial Services Industry Advisory Committee to the Office of the Taoiseach – Dublin, Ireland since 2015. In 2015 he was elected a Consigliere del Senato Accademico of L’Accademia Tiberina. In 2020, having served as a Trustee from 2008, he received Honorary Life Fellowship of Gresham College. He has held advisory posts at City, University of London, Hitachi UK, and HM Treasury. Mainelli was elected an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple in February 2023, and was appointed President of the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry on 15 January 2025.

City of London

Aldermanic and Shrieval career

First elected Alderman for Broad Street Ward on the City of London Corporation in 2013, Mainelli is a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of World Traders (for 2017–18), and an Honorary Liveryman of the Furniture Makers', Water Conservators', Marketors', Tax Advisers', Management Consultants', Security Professionals', Engineers', Chartered Architects', Playing Card Makers', International Bankers', and Scientific Instrument Makers' Companies, an Honorary Freeman of the Educators' Company, the Entrepreneurs, and the Information Technologists. A Craft-Owning Freeman of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, he is also the sponsoring Alderman for the Company of Communicators in their process of obtaining full livery status. On the 19 December 2024, Mainelli was elected to a third term as Alderman for Broad Street Ward.

Mainelli was elected Sheriff of the City of London on 24 June 2019, assuming office on 27 September 2019. In view of the global disruption to public life brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mainelli was re-elected, on 24 June 2020, to serve a second term as Sheriff of London for 2021.

Lord Mayor of the City of London

On 29 September 2023, Mainelli was elected Lord Mayor of the City of London, and took office on 10 November 2023, becoming the first American-born person to do so. Mainelli's mayoral theme was 'Connect To Prosper', an initiative that aimed to highlight the City of London's ability to solve global challenges. It championed the "scientific, academic and business worlds", going beyond the traditional support of finance and professional services usually associated with the role.

Writing

Mainelli has published more than 50 journal articles, 250 commercial articles and four books, including the novel Clean Business Cuisine: Now and Z/Yen, written with Ian Harris. Mainelli's economics book, The Price of Fish, also written with Ian Harris, applied his Gresham lecture series ideas to "wicked problems".

Publications

Novels

  • Michael Mainelli and Ian Harris, Clean Business Cuisine: Now and Z/Yen, Milet Publishing (2000), ISBN 1840592273, 160 pages.

Non-fiction

Personal life

Mainelli married Elisabeth (née Reuß, 1964) in 1996. Together they undertook the restoration of the SB Lady Daphne, a Thames sailing barge built in 1923. Mainelli still supports and lectures on sailing barges and their history, having sold the SB Lady Daphne upon completing renovation in 2017. He is a committee member of the Thames Sailing Barge Match, the second oldest sailing race in the world.

Awards and honours

OMRI (Comm.) neck decoration

Awards

Honours

Arms

Coat of arms of Michael Mainelli
Notes
www.mainelli.org
Granted
2019
Crest
Upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Sable standing upon a Dice Sable manifesting a Two and a Five Argent a Puffin Proper winding Bagpipes with blowstick chanter and two Drones Sable the chanter held by the wing tips the Drones tasseled Vert the Bag Argent charged with a Compass Rose Gules and holding in the dexter foot a Merchant's Purse with drawstrings tasseled Or mantled party Vert and Purpure lined Argent
Escutcheon
Argent within a Pretzel Knot of five loops Sable interlaced with another Gules the outer part of each loop enclosing a Yin Yang Symbol Sable and Argent the Sable outwards the Roundels Argent charged with a Plus Sign and the Roundels Sable with a Minus Sign all counterchanged an Analemma palewise the small loop upwards Gules interlaced with three Arrows points upwards one in pale and two in saltire Sable
Motto
Ordo ex χάος
(Order from chaos)
Orders
Behind the Arms, the Badge of St John and suspended below the insignia of a Knight of the Order of St John
Other elements
Whilst Lord Mayor, Mainelli could impale the City of London arms (dexter) with his personal arms (sinister)

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  2. ↑ www.arabnews.com
  3. ↑ "Gresham College – Professor Michael Mainelli". Gresham College. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  4. ↑ Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project: City of London - Court of Aldermen". Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  5. 1 2 "City elects Sheriffs of London for 2019 – 2020". City elects Sheriffs of London for 2019 - 2020.
  6. 1 2 Madden, Eila (October 2019). "The polymath" (PDF). The Review. London: Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Sharpe, Richard (25 January 2021). "Interview with Professor Michael Mainelli". Archives IT. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  8. ↑ "Square Mile and Me: Michael Mainelli on becoming Lord Mayor and bringing more pubs to the City". City A.M. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  9. ↑ Sprung, Robert (17 May 2024). "Lord Mayor for a Day". Harvard Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  10. ↑ "Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli". Gresham College. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  11. ↑ Mainelli, Michael (May 2004). Development of a Risk/Reward Meta-Methodology: A Study in Information Systems Concepts and Applications Derived from Problems with Measurement of Strategic Planning Systems Quality (Thesis). The London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  12. ↑ www.lse.ac.uk
  13. ↑ "Member details - Professor Michael Raymond Mainelli (Alderman)". democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk. 26 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Mainelli, Michael (1 January 1982). "Geodat: A Cartographic Data Base for Petroleum Mapping". Communications of Harvard Computer Graphics Week. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3719060. SSRN 3719060.
  15. ↑ "Culture and Impact Report". www.bdo.co.uk.
  16. ↑ "Blockchain believers seek to shake up financial services". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ↑ "Welcome - Mainelli.org". www.mainelli.org.
  18. ↑ "Prof Michael Mainelli". University College London. 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  19. ↑ "Economic and Business Faculty Fellows". Goodenough College. 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  20. ↑ "Visiting professor". LSE. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  21. ↑ Gunten, Chiara von. "London Accord". www.longfinance.net. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  22. ↑ "Welcome to Long Finance". London-accord.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  23. ↑ "Long Commerce: Transactions Across Time". Gresham College. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  24. ↑ "The Currency of Management: What Managing Money Teaches Us About Managing People". Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  25. ↑ "The Study of Money May Be The Root of Much Madness: The Fragile Foundations Underneath Economics". Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  26. ↑ "Take My Profits Please! Volatility Reduction And Ethics". Gresham College. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  27. ↑ "ICMCI". www.cmc-global.org.
  28. ↑ info@ukas.com. "Structure of UKAS". Ukas.com. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  29. ↑ "Wishbone Gold Plc - Directors & Management". Wishbone Gold Plc.
  30. ↑ Brona, Olwill. "Taoiseach, launching the IFS 2020". www.taoiseach.gov.ie.
  31. ↑ Minutes of the IFS2020 Joint Committee Meeting (PDF) (Report). Department of the Taoiseach. 20 June 2016. p. 1. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  32. ↑ "Accademia Tiberina". Accademia Tiberina.
  33. ↑ "[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Report of Professional Services Global Competitiveness Group". HM Treasury. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  34. ↑ "Masters of the Bench". The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  35. ↑ Gulliver-Needham, Elliot (15 January 2025). "Former Lord Mayor named president of London business group". City A.M. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  36. ↑ "Sheriff Elect of the City of London, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli to Chair Mondo Visione Exchange Forum 2019". Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  37. ↑ Buckingham, Zoe (12 October 2018). "Master'S@Home". Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  38. ↑ Pagecreative (1 October 2016). "Lady Daphne Cruise". The Furniture Makers' Company. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  39. ↑ Tozzi, Keith (January 2019). "Annual Banquet" (PDF). The Conservator. London: The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  40. ↑ Weaver, Karl (18 March 2021). "A fireside chat with Alderman and Sheriff Professor Michael Mainelli". Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  41. 1 2 "Register of interests: Professor Michael Raymond Mainelli (Alderman)". 18 February 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  42. ↑ Sankey, Edward (30 June 2021). "Sailing" (PDF). Annual Report. London: Worshipful Company of Management Consultants. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  43. ↑ "Annual Founders' Service and Supper". Worshipful Company of Security Professionals. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  44. ↑ Canning, Audrey (14 November 2022). "October 2022". Worshipful Company of Engineers. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  45. ↑ "Honorary Liverymen and Freemen". Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects. April 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  46. ↑ "Register of interests - Professor Michael Raymond Mainelli (Alderman)". City of London Corporation. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  47. ↑ "Admission Court Dinner". 23 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  48. ↑ "Honorary Members". Worshipful Company of Educators. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  49. ↑ "The Lord Mayor joins the Company of Entrepreneurs". 5 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  50. ↑ "Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli – Honorary Freeman of the WCIT". London. 15 October 2026. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  51. ↑ Blair, Gina (2022). "Master's Report" (PDF). Annual Report. London: The Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  52. ↑ "Our Alderman in the Mansion House". Company of Communicators. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  53. ↑ "Election results". City of London Corporation. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  54. ↑ "Lord Mayor and Sheriffs to continue in office until 2021 | Worshipful Company of International Bankers".
  55. ↑ "Michael Mainelli elected as next Lord Mayor of the City of London".
  56. ↑ Tetley, Liza (10 November 2023). "New Lord Mayor Eyes Exotic Trading Floors for London's Growth". Bloomberg. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  57. ↑ "Our Knowledge Miles in the World's Coffee House". City of London Corporation. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  58. ↑ "Alderman Profession Michael Mainelli - Mayoral Priorities" (PDF). City of London Corporation. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  59. ↑ "The role of the Lord Mayor". City of London Corporation. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  60. ↑ "Welcome to Z/Yen". Zyen.com. Retrieved 31 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  61. ↑ "Welcome to Z/Yen". Zyen.com. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  62. ↑ "Clean Business Cuisine Review". Zyen.com. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  63. ↑ Harris, Ian; Mainelli, Michael (13 October 2011). "The Price of Fish: A New Approach to Wicked Economics and Better Decisions". Nicholas Brealey Publishing – via Amazon.
  64. ↑ "Mrs Elisabeth Mainelli" (PDF). cityconsorts.org. September 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  65. ↑ "Home". Lady Daphne. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  66. ↑ "Lady Daphne". National Historic Ships UK. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  67. ↑ Mainelli, Michael (16 July 2021). "The Economics Of Thames Sailing Barges: An Unwonted View Of The City Of London's Commercial Prosperity" (PDF). Guildhall Historical Association. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  68. ↑ "Lady Daphne". 30 November 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  69. ↑ "Match Committee". Thames Sailing Barge Match (since 1863). Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  70. ↑ "Individual Excellence Awards 2004". British Computer Society. 2004. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  71. ↑ "2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results". Independent Publisher "Feature".
  72. ↑ "No. 64319". The London Gazette. 19 February 2024. p. 3246.
  73. ↑ "No. 62816". The London Gazette. 5 November 2019. p. 19888.
  74. ↑ "Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana". 18 October 2024. p. 81. Retrieved 6 November 2024.