Justine Simons

Justine was Head of Culture for the Mayor of London for more than a decade and has played a central role in the cultural revitalisation of London. She was awarded an OBE in 2015 for Services to Culture in London. She believes culture is central to London’s success as a global city and has the power to transform lives and places.

Justine has conceived and delivered the Mayor’s statutory culture strategy since the inception of the GLA. She shaped the Mayor’s Investment Strategy for the creative industries and has overseen City Hall’s work across music, theatre, film, fashion, design, games and art – including building the Fourth Plinth Commission into the UK’s biggest sculpture prize.

Justine founded and is Chair of the World Cities Culture Forum – a major global initiative on culture and the structure of cities involving 30 cities worldwide. She also played a lead role in the cultural programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – staging the capital’s biggest ever festival with more than 5,000 events. Prior to the Mayor’s Office, Justine spent more than a decade in the field of contemporary dance: producing, commissioning and running festivals and venues.