Citizens of London: The foreigners that are shaping its future

One of my summer reads was a book by former White House correspondent Lynn Olson titled Citizens of London. It tells the tale of three influential Americans in London during World War II: Gil Winant, the US Ambassador, who embraced and was embraced back by the British people; Averell Harriman, the business tycoon-turned diplomat who ran the Lend-Lease program and later became ambassador to Russia; and Edward Murrow who would go on the become a legend in the media world and is still famous for the opening line of his nightly radio broadcast “This is London” and his signoff “Good night and good luck…”

The book is a fascinating read describing both the vibe of wartime London during the Blitz, and before the US entered the war, when it stood alone. It talks of life in Soho, which became a popular place for soldiers from governments-in-exile, of Picadilly Circus which at one point seemed to be a sea of US Army uniforms on a night out, of East London which bore the brunt of the destruction from the nightly raids, of the bizarre combination of fear due to war which led to a freer-spirit (all three men would have affairs with Churchill family members).

But as I read the book, I also drew a parallel to London today: A city (and a nation) that has risen from “its darkest hour” to become one of the most vibrant, diverse energy-filled places on the planet. A city that has organically grown into one of the global hubs of innovation, and it made me realize that just as was the case with Winant, Harriman and Murrow, there are a number of foreign-born Londoners who are playing a key role in its digital evolution.

Just as in the days of Winant and Murrow, you cross these people on the streets, at No. 10 advising Government, in schools inspiring young people, at conferences supporting their peers.

The first to come to mind has to be Sherry Coutu, this Canadian who came to Britain some time ago, founded (and sold a few companies), invested in a few other ones. All while creating Silicon Valley Comes the UK linking UK entrepreneurs with founders and leaders in the Valley, Founders4Schools to help inspire students, sitting on the Board of Raspberry Pi, being a Trustee of NESTA, a Non-Exec of the London Stock Exchange and an advisor to the Government on technology, science and entrepreneurship…. And she does all of this with grace and with quiet élan for a country that, like me, has become home.

I also thought of Lady Joanna Shields , the first American to be appointed to the House of Lords, and now Digital Advisor to the Prime Minister. Joanna started inSilicon Valley in 1989 and first landed in London to lead the international expansion of Real Networks, then Google, famously sold Bebo to AOL for $850M, led Facebook’s EMEA efforts, and was CEO and Chairman of Tech City. Pennsylvania-born, it is actually fascinating to see Joanna’s reaction when you position her as an “American” in London, quickly calling out that she has been here over a dozen years and is a proud British passport holder, and a Londoner at heart.

Then there is the South Africans, and whether it is by genetic pre-disposition or cultural influence, they just seem to be a force of nature in starting, funding and supporting some of the greatest successes in the London Tech scene. The emblematic Ambassadors are Robin and Saul Klein, who have funded, founded or been early team members at the likes of Lovefilm, Skype, Songkick, Lastminute.com, Last.fm, Seedcamp and Transferwise. And they publicly state their ambition to help London rise, be it Robin’s calls for a more vibrant IPO market or Saul’s focus on technology education (and his own role in founding Kano, where yet another Klein is a co-founder).

And there are, of course, hundreds more. Most not as high-profile as Sherry, Joanna, Robin or Saul, but people who have made London “home” and who play their role each day in building what I feel is the most exciting area of opportunity for the country around innovation. Be it fellow Central-American Carlos Espinal and American Reshma Sohoni at Seedcamp, Eileen Burbridge at Passion Capital, Scandinavians like Niklas Zenstrom, Mexican-born Linkedin MD Ariel Eckstein, French-émigrés like Julien Codorniou and Eric Archambeau and thousands more.

The most powerful quote in the book is from Eric Sevareid, who worked alongside Murrow in London during the war:

“In years to come, men will speak of this war and say, “I was a soldier”, “I was a sailor”, or “I was a pilot”. Others will say with equal pride “I was a citizen of London”.

I am a proud Citizen of London and firmly believe that in the decades to come its innovation and growth will be able to trace many of its roots back to these “foreigners” who partnered with Britons to make it happen. We cross paths on a daily basis with Swedish hipsters in Shoreditch, German founders in Clerkenwell, American investors in Mayfair… all of us Citizens of London.