David Wootton

Early life

Wootton was educated at Bradford Grammar School before going up to Jesus College, Cambridge to read Classics and then Law. While at Cambridge he also captained his college’s boat club in 1972 and rowed in the First Boat which swept the board against all comers – and until he became Lord Mayor he endeavoured to row there once a year with his contemporaries.

Career

From 1979 to 2015 Wootton was a Partner at Allen & Overy, the international law firm headquartered in London with offices in 30 countries, specialising in corporate transactions and best-practice compliance with law and regulation in corporate governance. This involves dealing with mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and joint ventures across various international markets.

Having a strong interest in the governance of the City of London, Wootton stood for election to Common Council and was elected as Commoncouncilman for the Ward of Farringdon Within in 2002. In 2005 he was elected Alderman for the Ward of Langbourn. He was Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee and a member of the Policy and Resources and the City Lands and Bridge House Estates Committees. In 2009 he was elected Aldermanic Sheriff before serving as Lord Mayor of London for 2011-12. Wootton is Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen, which oversees the work of the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs and the Court of Aldermen and the operations of Mansion House. He chairs the Mayoral Visits Advisory Committee, which decides on and manages the programme of oversees visits by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, and serves on the Magistracy and Livery Sub Committee. He sits on the Policy & Resources Committee and the Resource Allocation and Public Relations and Economic Development Sub Committees, and is deputy chairman of the Courts Sub Committee, of the Policy & Resources Committee. He is Chairman of the Freedom Applications Committee, which reviews applications for Freedom of the City of London.

Wootton has made time throughout his career to devote to charitable and community activities in promotion of education and sport. Away from the Corporation of London, he is:

Wootton is Governor of several institutions, including:

and, is a keen supporter of the Livery, being:

Wootton is a racing steward of Henley Royal Regatta and a member of Leander and London Rowing Clubs, as well as the Athenaeum, the Oxford and Cambridge, East India and City of London Clubs.

He has also been:

Wootton was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to legal business, charity and the City of London".

Wootton was conferred Doctor of Laws honoris causa by the City University London in 2012, Honorary Doctor Staffordshire University, Honorary Fellow Jesus College Cambridge, Honorary Fellow Guildhall School of Music and Drama (“HonFGS”), one of her Majesty’s Lieutenants for the City of London and Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

Personal life

Married to Elizabeth (Liz), they have two sons (James and Christopher), two daughters (Alexandra and Sophie) and six grandchildren (Ellie, Lucy, Casper, Henry, Lawrence and George). Sir David and Lady Wootton live at Sevenoaks, Kent.

Freemasonry

Wootton is a Freemason. In 2007, he served as Senior Grand Warden of the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London and was Past Grand Sword Bearer in 2012. Since March 2014, he has been Assistant Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England.