Business and Economy

Sorrell To Head 2012 Business Council

WPP Chief Executive Sir Martin Sorrell is to head up a new International Council of Business Advisers which will will advise Mayor Ken Livingstone how the capital can achieve the maximum business benefits in the run up to the 2012 Olympic games.

The new council will be composed of up to 50 business leaders at Board, Chair and CEO level, drawn from national and international companies and will be independent of the official London 2012 organising structures - the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, and the Olympic Delivery Authority.

The Mayor said: “London sought to win the right to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games not only for the honour of staging the world’s greatest sporting event but also for the legacy of economic and social benefits they would deliver to the capital. A part of this is the regeneration of East London but crucially from this summer onwards, when the Beijing Games end on 24 August London, as the Host City for the 2012 Games, will see the world’s attention shift to the capital. This will generate international exposure on an unprecedented scale, an opportunity that will not recur for another 50 years.”

“I am determined that London should secure every possible benefit from this unique opportunity, both in the policies it adopts and in projecting itself as the world’s greatest international business centre and the world’s most international and diverse city. Sir Martin, with his combination of renowned business and marketing skills, is the ideal person to ensure London receives the maximum benefit from this in the run up to 2012.”

Sir Martin Sorrell said he was “delighted by the Mayor’s invitation. London 2012 represents a unique opportunity for British and international business. London 2012 will showcase the city’s strength and attributes and its creativity and innovation as the world’s attention shifts from Beijing to London.”