Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Ashish Goyal
We are honoured to host an exclusive private dinner with our distinguished alumnus Lord Norman Blackwell on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 in Central London.
The evening will feature an engaging discussion on British politics and economics, offering Lord Blackwell’s perspective on the key debates shaping the UK and its future direction. We are grateful that he has generously agreed to spend time with our community and share his insights.
We encourage attendees to come prepared with thoughtful questions (friendly ones!) — it promises to be a stimulating and enjoyable evening with fellow members.
Registration: First come, first served
Numbers: Limited to 12 people
If you have any special dietary restrictions, please email Ashish Goyal ashish[email protected]
About Lord Norman Blackwell
Norman Blackwell has a long history of senior roles in UK business and politics, retiring as Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group in 2021 and having previously worked directly for two Prime Ministers. He has been a member of the House of Lords since 1997.
After a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge he moved to Wharton on a Thouron Scholarship, graduating with an MBA in 1975 and a Ph.D. in Finance and Economics in 1976.
Returning to the UK, after two years working for Plessey (a major electronics company) he joined McKinsey, becoming a Partner in 1984. In 1985 he took an 18 month sabbatical to work as an adviser to Margaret Thatcher in 10 Downing Street. After a further period at McKinsey he left in 1995 to become the Head of The Prime Minister’s Policy Unit for Sir John Major.
Following the 1997 election, he took on the role of Director of Group Development at NatWest Group until it was acquired by RBS in 2000. He then spent 20 years in a variety of Non-Executive Director and Chairman roles across a range of industries with companies including Dixons (retailing), SEGRO (property), Standard Life (Insurance), Interserve (Services), Smartstream (Software),Halma (Engineering) and Lloyds Banking Group as well as the communications regulator, OFCOM.
As a member of the House of Lords he has served on many standing committees, with a focus on Economics and our relationship with the European Union.
In his free time Lord Blackwell is an active amateur musician, with a passion for playing string chamber music.
