WCIB Court Assistant Tim Hailes JP elected Sheriff of City of London 2017/18

Alderman Tim Hailes JP, a Court Assistant of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers (WCIB) was elected to serve as one of the two Sheriffs of the City of London for 2017/18.  Tim will take over as Sheriff on Michaelmas Eve i.e. 28th September 2017.

The role of the Sheriffs of the City of London is to support the Lord Mayor by advising him on matters that are important to the City or helping to host dinners for visiting dignitaries, and travel with him in his business visits. They also look after the Judges at the Old Bailey and make sure that the court's business runs smoothly.

They are elected each year on Midsummer's day by the City livery companies. One must be an Alderman - the senior representative of one of the City's Wards, and another elected position - and both Sheriffs need to be members of a livery company. Their tenure is one year and runs from September to September.

WCIB is Tim Hailes' 'mother livery' which means it is the first livery company he joined.  This confers certain priviliges and responsibilites on the WCIB to support Tim as he carries out his duties.  This is the second year running that WCIB has been the 'mother livery' of a Sheriff, one of the current Sheriffs Alderman & Sheriff Peter Estlin is Senior Warden of the WCIB.

The Master congratulates Tim Hailes
on his election outside the Guildhall 26 June 2017.

Here is the text of Tim's acceptance speech

My Lord Mayor

Fellow Liverymen

It is an honour and a privilege

To have received your support in electing me to the office

Of Sheriff of The City of London.

Precedent encourages me to take this opportunity to introduce myself

And my values

But I feel they will be more relevant

If I set them in context.

This is a role within a civic government and community

Built upon two enduring pillars

Tradition 

And trust.

And in these I believe that we can find both reassurance

And inspiration.

We are defined by our past

But our future impact will rest on how well we are trusted.

It is nine years since two decades of corporate greed and excess

Came crashing down around us.

This has brought a legacy of mistrust and apprehension

About The City

With society asking what constitutes "good" capitalism ?

I grew up in Dorset by the sea

Embracing family tradition by sailing with my father.

I placed my trust in him to keep us afloat.

These days I live in Maritime Greenwich with my Labrador dogs

Benjy and Brandon who trust me to come home with their dinner !

Between walks and feeds I have worked in two international legal practices

And in one of the world's pre-eminent investment banks.

And so I have gained a little perspective both inside and outside this Square Mile.

Witnessing how these different worlds interconnect and overlap.

And perhaps an understanding as to why and how we can work for the betterment of them all.

My Fellow Liverymen,

We have arrived in a new age

The digital age

The post truth age:-

Taxi companies with no cars.

Social media giants with no morals.

Corporations without commodities.

An age increasingly defined in messages of fewer than 140 characters

In which the old distinctions between Left and Right

Have been replaced by that between the Haves and Have Nots

The young and the old

And those with and without higher education 

A bridge is required

To ensure that integrity and trust can travel

From our ancient City

To this new world

For those qualities are the bedrock of our civic government and community.

This year I will support the Lord Mayor

Host Her Majesty's Judges at the Old Bailey

And reinforce old friendships.

But I am equally conscious that we need to foster new relationships for a new age

To establish new connections

To remain relevant 

To reestablish a sense of trust in the role of The City

To show that although head count matters…

Hearts count even more. 

Before I conclude, two final thank yous.

Firstly to my fellow Sheriff Elect and Emma who I look forward to working with over the year ahead.

And secondly to my wingman, Fiona Adler, full of energy, enthusiasm and experience.

And now it is with gratitude that I accept election to the office of Sheriff and confirm my willingness to serve.

I am conscious of the trust you have placed in me

And I will endeavour to serve the City to the very best of my ability.

My Lord Mayor