Ian Thomas (town clerk)

Ian Cornelius Thomas (born 1969) serves as the 51st Town Clerk of London and Chief Executive of the City of London Corporation since 2023.

Early life
Born in South Yorkshire to parents from Jamaica who immigrated to England as part of the Windrush generation, Thomas originally wanted to be a footballer and was signed to Sheffield United until a back injury. He is related to Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Thomas attended Newfield Secondary School, Sheffield, before pursuing further studies, graduating as MA in professional practice (change management) from Lancaster University in 2007.

Career
Thomas served in local government for over 20 years prior to joining the City of London in 2023. Thomas has built a national profile as one of the country's leading public service Chief Executives, having forged his career as a leader in transformation, social care and health services.

Thomas started his career in public service at Trafford Council in 1999, and then joined Derbyshire County Council (2006–14), becoming Deputy CEO (2011–14).

Rotherham Borough Council
Thomas was initially headhunted on a one-year contract by Malcolm Newsam, the children's social care commissioner appointed by the government to oversee children's and young people's services in Rotherham in the wake of the Jay Report by Professor Alexis Jay. As Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council's Strategic Director for Children and Young People from 2015 until 2018, Thomas transformed the council's social services, being appointed CBE in 2019 for his leadership in the wake of the rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal. Under his leadership, the number of children in Derbyshire who achieved five or more GCSEs trebled in a single year. Ofsted praised Thomas's leadership for creating "a culture of learning, support and challenge."

Lewisham Council and Kingston upon Thames Council
He was Chief Executive of the London Borough of Lewisham in 2018, before serving as CEO of the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames (2019–23) where he led award-winning public services and a £1.2bn regeneration programme providing 3,000 new homes, schools, leisure & cultural facilities, 4,000 new jobs and apprenticeships and attracting inward investment, including Unilever’s new global HQ.

Corporation of the City of London
Appointed Town Clerk and Chief Executive of the City Corporation in February 2023, he is also the Chief Executive of the Police Authority and oversees the City of London Police within the City of London. The Town Clerk, a position dating back to the 13th century, acts as head of the paid service, leading over 4,000 City Corporation staff, and is the organisation’s principal adviser to elected Members on matters of policy.