Cass BusinessSchools Chris Roebuck receives Freedom of the City of London
Chris Roebuck, Visiting Professor of Transformational Leadership at Cass Business School, received the Freedom of the City of London on Friday 16 December.
His Freedom ceremony in the Chamberlains Court at the Guildhall began with him reading aloud the Declaration of a Freeman and ended by him being greeted as a Citizen of London and the presentation of his framed parchment certificate.
Professor Roebuck, who lives on the iconic Barbican Estate, completed his MBA at CassBusinessSchool, and has worked for several City-based international banks both in London and globally. He is a member of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers and has been a member of the Honourable Artillery Company for 17 years. As a former Royal Engineer officer, he works with the charity, ‘Soldier On!’, which helps injured servicemen find employment in civilian organisations.
Chris advises public and private sector organisations on how to deliver better organisational performance through their people, and is a regular contributor on TV news programmes about City and business issues.
Speaking before his Freedom ceremony, Professor Roebuck said:
I am delighted to receive the Freedom of the City of London, which dates back to medieval times, and is one of the Citys living traditions. It confirms the strong links between the City and Cass Business School, which is led by the Lord Mayor, as the Chancellor of City University. Cass is dedicated to helping the City develop its capability as the worlds leading business centre.
For nearly 800 years, the City has made a major contribution to the nation, not only through its financial and business expertise, but also through its charitable work and the development of principles for ethical business behaviour through the Livery companies. These have subsequently been used by many business bodies worldwide to develop their own ethical standards. This long history of entrepreneurial and ethical business leadership will help the City meet the challenges it currently faces.
The Freedom of the City of London is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade; and today, people are nominated for, or apply for, the Freedom, because it offers them a link with the historic City of London. The Freedom is also offered to individuals by the City Corporation to help celebrate a significant achievement, or to pay tribute to their outstanding contribution to London life.
