Greg Clark is a world-recognised expert on the future of cities and city development. He is a thought leader, advisor and facilitator with 20 years experience. Clark has been a city strategy advisor to more than 20 cities on 5 continents and has led international city networks and projects on economic strategy, city leadership, openness and migration, urban investment, long-term strategic planning, and city branding. These cities include London, Sao Paulo, Singapore, New York, and Hong Kong. He is an expert international peer reviewer on city and regional development issues for inter-governmental organisations in five continents, and has led more than 100 such reviews in 100 cities.
Clark’s work involves a large portfolio of high profile international and UK leadership and advisory roles, and a number of innovative strategy and research roles at distinguished organisations. He is Senior Fellow at the Urban Land Institute; Chief Advisor and Chairman of the OECD’s Forum on Local Development and Investment; and Lead Advisor on the World Bank Urbanisation Knowledge Forum. He is also chairman of the London Stansted Cambridge Consortium; a member of the London Enterprise Partnership; a Global Fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington; Associate of LSE Cities; Chairman of British BIDs; and a Visiting Professor at Cass Business School. He advises many global companies on working with global cities, and among his regular clients are JLL, GVA, Siemens, Microsoft, and JP Morgan Chase.
Clark has led many key projects in recent years on the development of London. He was previously a Commissioner on the West End Commission (2012-2013), Member of the Promote London Council (2010/2010), Managing Director at Greater London Enterprise, CEO of London Enterprise Agency/ OneLondon, and a Director at the London Docklands Development Corp.
A dynamic conference speaker and chairman, Greg Clark has contributed to over 200 conferences worldwide; including ULI (the World Cities Summit, the World Mayors’ Forum, the Asia Pacific Cities Summit, and EuroCities), the OECD, the World Bank, the Financial Times, the EIB, MIPIM, LSE, the Brookings Institution, and the EU Council. He speaks on issues facing cities such as competitiveness and growth, leadership and place, financing the future, and the advantages of diversity and openness in a global economy.
He is the author of more than 10 books and major reports on city development. His publications include 'The Business of Cities: A Review of 100 City Indexes' (2011), 'The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Cities' (2011), 'What are British Cities Good At?' (2011), 'City Leadership in the New Development Cycle' (2011), and 'Business benefits of hosting global events' (2011).Greg Clark is a specialist on cities, including their building, investment, and strategy. His current roles include Senior Fellow, ULI Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India; Chairman, British Business Improvement Districts; Member Mayor of London’s Promote London Council; Chairman of the OECD Forum of Development Agencies and Investment Strategies; Visiting Professor in City Leadership at Cass Business School, City of London. He is also a trusted advisor to several global companies seeking to work more closely with major cities and regions.
In July 2012, Greg was appointed Chairman of the London Stansted Cambridge Consortium, bringing forward a strategy for the growth corridor on behalf of the 13 Local Governments and their Business Partners. Most recently, in February 2013, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, appointed Greg to the London Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). He is also on the Boards of the Centre for Cities and the Centre for London.
Greg's expertise include City and Metropolitan Economies as Emerging Markets for global firms; How Global Firms and Global Cities can work together for mutual advantage; City and Regional Investment Instruments: Public/Private Finance and collaboration; City and Regional Marketing, Branding, and the local impact of International Events; The Competitive Advantage of Diversity to Cities and Regions; The Future and Leadership of Cities and Regions in a Global era.
In 1995, he was elected as a Harkness Fellow and spent 18 months in North America as a guest of the US Federal Government assessing city and regional economic development in 12 north American metropolitan regions from a base as a fellow at Columbia University in New York City.
As Chairman of the European Urban Development Forum from 1996 to 2000 he oversaw reviews of development and regeneration in 24 European Cities/Regions. In 2005 he reviewed urban regeneration in 7 Asian world cities for the OECD. In 2004 he provided training to city and regional development leaders form 9 Southern African cities.
He has directed comparative studies and assessments of London and New York, UK & Spanish cities, UK & Canadian Cities, and UK & Chinese Cities. He facilitates strategic relationships between cities and between global companies and global cities.
He has provided leadership training to senior executives from Siemens, Microsoft, Linklaters, and EDF Energy. He has provided staff briefings on city and metropolitan issues for Grosvenor, PWC, and Barclays Bank. He has addressed and advised business leadership groups in London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milano, Torino, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, Auckland, Toronto, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Glasgow.
From 1988 to 2006 he held a variety of posts including: Lead Advisor on City & Regional Development, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, UK Government, Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, London Development Agency, Managing Director, Economic Development, at Greater London Enterprise, Chief Executive of the London Enterprise Agency: ‘One London’, and International Programmes Director at the London Docklands Development Corporation.
In July 2012, Greg was appointed Chairman of the London Stansted Cambridge Consortium, bringing forwards a strategy for the growth corridor on behalf of the 13 Local Governments and their Business Partners. In February 2013, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, appointed Greg to the London LEP. He has also recently joined the Boards of the Centre for Cities and the Centre for London.
