The Cityforum Team
Our core team consists of a small group of highly motivated and committed people who desire to make a difference and do so with modesty, using plain English.
After reading History at Oxford Marc spent a period of time at the United Nations, writing a book on UN peacekeeping and editing a second volume on the same subject. This was followed by an appointment as a Defence Lecturer at Southampton University, where he worked for several years in Military Service education before being head-hunted by the Financial Times where he undertook roles as Conference Director, Managing Director of FT Business Enterprises and later worked as an adviser. During a twenty-year career he travelled the globe, developing and opening FT global events, leading training programmes as well as working in a high-level advisory role.
In 1990 he set up Cityforum and devised and hosted the Adam Smith Bicentenary celebration for the Scots and has ever since been engaged in top-level forums and analysis of political, economic, defence and security and wider public policy questions. Cityforum works on a continuing basis with government departments and agencies and with private sector companies in the UK and abroad, developing practical, outcome-focussed round table discussions and undertaking bespoke advisory projects and ‘candid friend’ functions.
Marc Lee has chaired the Welsh Ballet Russe Trust, been a Senior Visiting Fellow at the City University (now Cass) Business School and held regional office for the RSA. His interests are opera, English watercolours and drawing, the history of the first half of 20th Century and Somerset cricket.
Susannah has been with Cityforum since 2014. As Deputy Director she leads on the day to day running of the organisation and works closely with Chairman Marc Lee on strategy and planning.
Most of her spare time is taken up with four children and a house renovation project, but she enjoys walking her dog in the countryside and loves to spend as much time as possible either in the garden or in Cornwall.
Rachel is responsible for conference organisation and production from overseeing sourcing venues and catering, staff organisation and logistics, to the production of event materials for online use and on-the-day delegate packs. She also works as an industry liaison, approaching and maintaining relationships with sponsors and drafting marketing materials to attract delegate sales. Post event she designs, edits and publishes reports. She is also responsible for developing company marketing materials and updating the website.
Rachel enjoys getting out and about at the weekend with her husband, son and dog, Muttley.
