EY leader Omar Ali appointed board chair of TheCityUK

EY Partner Omar Ali is set to become board chair at TheCityUK. Effective 1 July 2025, Ali will take on the role from Anne Richards.

The financial and related professional services industry is a powerhouse in the UK – contributing 12% of the total economic output and employing over 2.4 million people. TheCityUK is an organisation built to champion and support the success of the financial and professional services ecosystem, which makes up its membership.

As it looks to build this role in 2025, it has announced the succession of Omar Ali from Anne Richards as board chair. Fidelity International Vice Chair Richards will move to succeed Bruce Carnegie-Brown as TheCityUK’s leadership council chair. Meanwhile, Ali steps into the board chair role from July.

Ali, who is the global financial services leader of EY, will be focused on delivering members’ priorities and ensuring continued progress on executing the organisation’s strategic priorities as it continues to champion the success of UK-based financial and related professional services.

Speaking on his appointment via LinkedIn, he noted, “I’m committed to leading a progressive agenda that supports the industry as it responds to rapidly evolving technology, geopolitical and macro-economic challenges, and an increasingly multigenerational workforce and customer base. The UK has an ambitious reform agenda to safeguard its position as an internationally competitive and leading financial hub, and TheCityUK plays an integral role in this effort.”