SEND FOR LEVENE. LORD LEVENE IN CONVERSATION WITH SAVILIAN DAVID OLDROYD-BOLT.

A fascinating autobiography covering the multifaceted career of Peter Levene (Lord Levene of Portsoken KBE) – successful businessman turned senior civil servant and then renowned commercial trouble shooter. Along the way Peter also had time to be Lord Mayor of London.

Peter Levene’s career has uniquely straddled both the public and private sectors at the highest levels …invariably in troubled times.

In Send for Levene the author charts his commercial career from his early days in establishing United Scientific Holdings PLC as a multi-million pound listed company to his sudden transformation into a senior civil servant as Chief of Defence Procurement at the invitation of Michael Heseltine the then Minister of Defence.

Photograph: Lady and Lord Levene

This was followed by a move into investment banking and an unexpected appointments to act as Prime Minister John Major’s Efficiency Advisor. Peter was then appointed to put the troubled Docklands Light Railway back on the rails before becoming Chairman and Chief Executive of the also financially troubled Canary Wharf development.

This book is full of fascinating insights into business and government – national and international. On return to the commercial world, Peter joined the boards of Deutsche Bank, Sainsbury’s, Deutsche Borse, IFSL, Eurotunnel, China Construction Bank and Haymarket Media Group. Breaking with insurance industry tradition, he was appointed as ‘an outsider’ to the Chairmanship of Lloyd’s of London. Whilst there, he was invited by Liam Fox to chair the newly formed ‘Defence Reform Group’ which introduced a series of important changes.

Peter is still active in business with a number of other directorships as well as his involvement in several charitable and philanthropic activities.

A fascinating read by a remarkable man.

“His story, told with a refreshing simplicity and frankness, will resonate with anyone who has started their own business, or sought to get a grip on the complexities of management in the public sector or troubled private sector projects. His achievement in the Defence Ministry and later as advisor to John Major created his reputation as the ‘go to’ trouble-shooter.”  FROM THE FOREWORD BY THE LORD HESELTINE

£10 welcome drink and talk, plus (optional) 2 course lunch with wines at £25