Danny Lopez (businessman)

Danny Lopez (born May 1974) is a former diplomat and banker who is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Blippar, a technology company that specialises in augmented reality and computer vision.^[1] Between 2011 and 2016 Lopez was the British Consul-General to New York and Director-General of UK Trade & Investment in the United States. When he was appointed in 2011 he became the youngest ever British Consul-General to New York. He was succeeded by Antonia Romeo in July 2016.^[2]

Career Overview

Lopez joined Barclays Bank on its Management Development Programme in 1996. During his ten years at Barclays he held a number of senior international positions, including Head of Global Inward Investment in London, Director of Business Banking in New York and Director of Business Development in India.^[3]

In 2006, Lopez took up the position of Managing Director of Marketing & Communications at UK Trade & Investment, the UK government's foreign commercial arm, where he was responsible for delivering a new marketing strategy to promote the UK economy internationally.^[4]

From 2009 to 2011, Lopez worked for the Mayor of London’s economic development arm, under Boris Johnson, as Group Director for Business Support and International Promotion.^[4] During this time, Lopez was responsible for creating London & Partners, London's promotional agency for business, visitors and students and was its first Chief Executive Officer.

In 2011, the role of HM Consul-General to New York was for the first time opened up to applicants outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Lopez was confirmed as the successful candidate. As the senior British diplomat to New York for five years, Lopez was responsible for promoting the UK’s economic profile, foreign policy and national security priorities, engaging at the highest levels of US political and business leadership. In addition, Lopez led UK Trade & Investment across nine cities in the US, working closely with multinationals on both sides of the Atlantic. During Lopez's tenure as HM Consul-General, he hosted TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to New York in December 2014.^[5][6] Lopez also actively promoted the expansion of high-tech US startups into the UK,^[7][8] and facilitated collaboration between the tech industries of both countries.^[9] In November 2013 Lopez was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.^[10]

In 2016 Lopez left his diplomatic position and returned to the private sector. Lopez moved back to London and was announced as the Chief Operating Officer of Blippar, a British technology company specialising in augmented reality and computer vision.^[11] In 2017 Lopez joined the advisory board of Grant Thornton UK's Vibrant Economy Commission.^[12]

Personal

Born in England and brought up in Spain, Lopez was educated at the Marists School of Zaragoza. Lopez, fluent in both English and Spanish,^[3]holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in economics and a Master's degree in international economics and finance from the University of Essex.^[4] In 2012 he married his Australian fiancée, Susan Grieve.^[13][14]

References

1. ↑ "Top British diplomat is jumping ship for Silicon Roundabout". The Independent. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2017-07-07. 
2. ↑ "Change of Her Majesty’s Consul General in New York - News stories - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-09. 
3. 1 2 LeRoy, Bridget. "British Consul General: The Star Talks to Danny Lopez", The East Hampton Star, East Hampton, NY, 18 August 2011. Retrieved on 5 April 2012
4. 1 2 3 British Consulate-General, New York
5. ↑ "Actor Matthew Rhys Finds Himself Tongue-Tied over Princess Kate". People.
6. ↑ "Prince William and Duchess Kate: 9 Things That Have Happened Since They Arrived in the US". ABC News - Good Morning America, Dec 8, 2014,
7. ↑ "Exporting startups? Pete Cashmore joins David Karp to pick top U.S. talent". Upstart Business Journal
8. ↑ "British Want Philly Tech Companies to Expand to U.K.". By Lauren Hertzler | Philadelphia Business Journal.
9. ↑ "London & New York - Silicon Cities With Much to Learn From Each Other". New York Daiily News.
10. ↑ https://www.themarque.com/members/danny-lopez
11. ↑ "Top British diplomat is jumping ship for Silicon Roundabout". The Independent. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2017-07-22. 
12. ↑ "The Vibrant Economy Commission". Grant Thornton - Vibrant Economy. Retrieved 2017-07-22. 
13. ↑ "'Susan Grieve, Danny Lopez". New York Times.
14. ↑ "New British Consul General in New York". British Academy of Film and Television Arts]

External links

• BritWeek: Board of Directors:
• Danny Lopez - GOV.UK
• Introduction: New Consul-General, Danny Lopez « British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia
• Tech upstart Blippar poaches top British diplomat in New York, Danny Lopez, to head global growth