Professor Michael Mainelli MStJ FCCA FCSI(Hon) FBCS, Executive Chairman, Z/Yen Group
Professor Michael Mainelli MStJ FCCA FCSI(Hon) FBCS, Executive Chairman, Z/Yen Group
Michael Mainelli is a scientist and economist trying to promote societal advance through better finance and technology. Originally a research scientist in aerospace (rocket science) and computing (architecture & cartography), educated at Harvard, Trinity College Dublin, he gained his PhD from the London School of Economics, where he was also Visiting Professor in innovation and IT. He became a senior partner of accountants BDO Binder Hamlyn, and Corporate Development Director for the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Evaluation & Research Agency. During a mergers & acquisitions spell in merchant banking with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, in 1994 he founded Z/Yen, the City of London’s leading think-tank. Z/Yen is renowned for its Global Financial, Green Finance, and Smart Centres indices, as well as notable ‘firsts’ in technology research. Michael has advised numerous governments and municipalities around the world, including four years as International Financial Services Advisor to the Office of the Taoiseach. Michael is a fellow of Gresham College, Kings College London, and Goodenough College, visiting professor at UCL’s Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple, and non-executive director of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and a listed mining company. He is active in twelve livery companies, past Master of the World Traders, an Alderman of the City of London for Broad Street, and late Sheriff of the City of London 2019-2021, with charity interests in the environment, education, and care. His third book, written with Ian Harris, The Price Of Fish: A New Approach To Wicked Economics And Better Decisions, won the Independent Publisher Book Awards Finance, Investment & Economics Gold Prize. Michael’s interests include skiing, shooting, woodcarving, bagpipes, glassblowing, and racing boats & barges, sitting on the world’s oldest sailing racing body, the Thames Match. Michael is currently Senior Alderman Below The Chair at the City of London Corporation and, subject to election on 29 September, likely to be the next Lord Mayor of the City of London from 10 November 2023 to 10 November 2024.