Susan Langley

Dame Susan Carol Langley DBE (née Walford, born 2 July 1963) is a British businesswoman and civic leader, who served as Aldermanic Sheriff of the City of London for 2023–24^[1] and is Lady Mayor-elect of London for 2025–26.^[2][3]

Dame Susan Langley
Alderwoman of the City of London
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 July 2018
Preceded by	Peter Hewitt
Succeeded by	in office
Sheriff of the City of London
In office 28 September 2023 – 27 September 2024
Preceded by	Alastair King
Succeeded by	Gregory Jones
Personal details
Born	Susan Carol Walford (1963-07-02) 2 July 1963 (age 62) West Ham, Essex, England
Spouse	Gary Phillip Langley JP (m. 2003)
Residence(s)	London and Hertfordshire
Profession	Insurer
Website	ajg.com

An insurer and financier, Langley is the non-executive chair of Gallagher UK since 2015^[4] and a non-executive director of UK Asset Resolution.^[5]

Life

Family and education

Sue Walford was born in 1963 at West Ham, then in Essex, the daughter of Shirley (née Manners) and James Walford. She was educated at Redden Court School before going up to read Geography at the University of Southampton, graduating BSc.^[6]

In 2003 she married Gary Langley,^[7] a Justice of the Peace for Hertfordshire.^[8]

Professional career

Having travelled in Australia after university, she joined Thomson Tour Operators as a programme manager and held various roles from 1987 to 1996, and then PricewaterhouseCoopers as a principal consultant working with a range of FTSE companies (1996–98), before becoming Chief Operating Officer of Hiscox. With Lloyd's of London from 2007 until 2012, Langley served as Director for North America and Market Development, Director of Lloyd's Asia and Chair of Lloyd's Japan, before joining the Department for Business and Trade as Chief Executive Officer for Financial and Professional Services from 2013 to 2015.^[9]

A Senior Independent Director for UKAR (Northern Rock Asset Management and Bradford & Bingley) since 2010,^[10] Langley chairs Gallagher UK since 2015, and served as Lead NED at HMG Home Office (2014–22)^[11] as well as a Trustee of Macmillan Cancer Support from 2017 to 2021.

Civic service

Elected to represent Aldgate Ward on the Court of Aldermen since 2018^[12] and the first to be formally styled Alderwoman,^[13] Langley served as Sheriff of the City of London for 2023–24.^[1]

Lady Mayor-elect for the 2025–26 term,^[2][3] Dame Susan will become only the third woman^[a] to hold the office since its establishment in the 13th century and the first styled as Lady Mayor of London.^[3]

Honours and appointments

• 
  DBE breast star
• 
  MStJ insignia

National honours

• : Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2023)^[14]
  • Officer of the Order of the British Empire (2015), for "services to women in business"^[15]
• : Member of the Order of St John (2024);^[16]

Civic appointments

• Alderwoman of London (2018)
• Sheriff of the City of London (2023–24)
  • Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Insurers^[17]
  • Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Drapers^[18]
  • Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths^[19]
  • Freeman of the City of London^[20]
• Lady Mayor-elect of London for 2025–26.

Supportive of Equality of Arms in heraldry, Dame Susan has not petitioned the Earl Marshal for a grant of Arms until such time as positive change for sex equality in the laws of Arms, heraldic convention and practice is decreed by Garter and his fellow Kings of Arms,^[21] instead assuming a personal armorial design.^[22]

See also

• City of London
• Lloyd's of London