Summary
London has long been a leading global financial centre. To increase their competitiveness, the UK’s capital markets have been going through a period of significant reform. Is this process on track to succeed? What further reforms are planned? The European Capital Markets Union project has been slow going. Is this likely to change, and. If so, what will it take? Green bonds have already demonstrated that capital markets can be harnessed for climate purposes, but what do the next generation of market-based solutions look like for climate, nature and biodiversity? And how can London leverage its advantages to become the global centre for transition finance? Finally, capital markets are dynamic allocators of capital – what are the current drivers in international M&A and which are the hot sectors?
Agenda
Here's what's scheduled for the event. All times are in BST.
| Monday, May 18, 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12:45 PM | Afternoon Registration | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1:05 PM | Networking and lunch Themed lunch areas:
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| 1:50 PM | Afternoon Chair's welcome Bob Wigley, Chairman, UK Finance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1:55 PM | Panel How can the international capital markets best meet the requirements of growth companies? Moderator James Wootton, Partner, Global Co-Head of Equity Capital Markets, Linklaters Panellists Justin Basini, CEO and Co-founder, The ClearScore Group Richard Davies, CEO, Allica Bank Declan Ferguson, Group CFO, Starling Group Lisa Jacobs, CEO, Funding Circle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2:35 PM | Panel The ongoing reform of the UK’s capital markets: assessing progress to date and what remains to be done Moderator Mark Austin CBE, Partner, Latham & Watkins Panellists John Wilkinson, Co-Head EMEA ECM, Goldman Sachs Ann Prendergast, Head of EMEA, State Street Investment Management Sian Hurrell, Head of RBC Capital Markets Europe Dame Julia Hoggett, CEO, London Stock Exchange | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:15 PM | Panel The potential of the EU Savings & Investment Union to underpin Europe’s capital markets Moderator Cécile Nagel, Global Head of Corporate Trust and Head of London Branch, BNY Panellists John Berrigan, Director General, Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Vathany Vijayaratna, CEO, Deutsche Bank UK & Ireland Thierry d’Argent, Chief Executive Officer, Societe Generale UK and Ireland Sophie Mullenders, Head of Product Strategy & Innovation, Europe, UK and Data, Euroclear | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:55 PM | Networking and afternoon tea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4:20 PM | Panel The explosive growth in private markets – opportunities and potential challenges Moderator Leon de Bono, Managing Director, UK Private Capital Panellists Patrick Thomson, CEO, EMEA, J.P. Morgan Asset Management Sandy Boss, Chair, Blackrock UK Philip Noblet, Head of UK & Ireland Investment Banking, Jefferies Rebecca Gibson, Managing Partner, Oakley Capital | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5:00 PM | Panel Capital markets and the energy transition – London’s role as the global centre for transition finance Moderator Linda Taylor, Counsel, Linklaters Panellists Daniel Hanna, Group Head of Sustainable & Transition Finance, Barclays Emma Harvey-Smith, Managing Director, Partnerships, GFI Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE, Chair, Policy Working Group, UK Transition Finance Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5:40 PM | Chair’s closing remarks Bob Wigley, Chairman, UK Finance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5:45 PM | Networking drinks reception | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6:30 PM | Close of Day One | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Join us at City Week 2026
Join industry leaders and innovators at City Week 2026, where cutting-edge insights, networking opportunities, and transformative ideas await!
