Catherine Mcguinness

Catherine McGuinness joined City as an independent member of Council in May 2022.

Catherine is a financial services professional and an elected member (Common Councillor) of the City of London Corporation. She served as the City’s Chair of Policy & Resources 2017 – 2022, leading on its work with the financial and related professional services sector.

As Policy Chair she also served as a vice chair of London Councils, the cross-party body representing London’s 32 boroughs plus the City, liaising with London government on issues of common interest or challenge, most notably the Covid pandemic.

Catherine has a long interest and involvement in education, and has chaired the City of London Corporation’s Education Board, the City of London Academies Trust, and the governing body of The City Academy, Hackney. She has also previously chaired the board of governors at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and the board of the Barbican Arts Centre, where she was particularly keen to foster outreach and inclusion.

Catherine is currently leading a government-commissioned taskforce aimed at boosting socio-economic diversity at senior levels in UK Financial and Professional services.

A solicitor by training, her career until becoming Policy Chair was in financial services law. Catherine studied PPE at St Anne’s College, Oxford.