Peter Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken

Peter Keith Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken (born 8 December 1941), is a British businessman who was the chairman of Lloyd's of London from 2003 to 2011 and served as Lord Mayor of London from 1998 to 1999. He was a member of the House of Lords from 1997 to 2024.

Education

He was educated at the City of London School and then studied at the University of Manchester where he graduated with a degree in Economics and Political Science.

Life

Lord Levene is chairman of Starr Underwriting Agents Limited. Previously, he served as chairman of the Lloyd's of London insurance and reinsurance market from 2002 to 2011, after having been vice chairman of Deutsche Bank. Prior to this, he held the position of chairman of Bankers Trust International and was formerly with both Morgan Stanley and Wasserstein Perella. He joined United Scientific Holdings in 1963, a small company which grew into a substantial supplier to UK and overseas Ministries of Defence. He eventually rose to the post of chairman of that group, in 1981.

Subsequently, he was asked by the then Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Heseltine, to act as his Personal Advisor in the MoD, and then as Permanent Secretary in the role of Chief of Defence Procurement, a position which he held for six years. As UK National Armaments Director, he was appointed as chairman of the European National Armaments Directors 1989–1990. He thereafter held a number of Government posts, as Advisor to the Secretary of State for the Environment; to the President of the Board of Trade; and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was appointed as Advisor to the Prime Minister (John Major) on Efficiency and Effectiveness from 1992 to 1997, producing a report, Efficiency Scrutiny into Construction Procurement by Government. in 1996. During this period, he also served as chairman of the Docklands Light Railway and then chairman and Chief Executive of Canary Wharf Ltd. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of J Sainsbury plc from 2001 to 2004, and of Total S.A., from 2005 to 2011, and was chairman of General Dynamics UK Ltd until 2019. and was created a life peer on 22 July 1997 as Baron Levene of Portsoken, of Portsoken in the City of London. He sat as a crossbencher in the House of Lords until his retirement on 28 November 2024.

Levene has held three other non-executive directorships in addition to Starr underwriting, as chairman of Tikehau Capital Europe Ltd, and on the boards of Haymarket Media Group, and China Construction Bank. He is a member of the House of Lords Finance Committee and was also a member of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. He was appointed by the Secretary of State for Defence in July 2010 to chair the Defence Reform Group, a body set up to review proposals for changes in structure in the UK Ministry of Defence. This body reported in June 2011 and their recommendations are now being implemented. He speaks French, German and Italian.

Family Lord Levene is married to Wendy, Lady Levene, who is active in many charities. She is a trustee of the Jewish Museum. She had polymyalgia rheumatica and is a trustee of the associated charity, PMRGCA UK. In 1989, she launched HMS Argyll, a Royal Navy warship sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Paviors. They have three children – John Levene, born 1968, Nicole Walsh, born 1969, Tim Levene – born 1973, and ten grandchildren.

Arms

Publications Levene, Peter – Send for Levene. Autobiography; introduction by Michael Heseltine. Published 2018 by Nine Elms Books, London. .