Think London | History

From a small and dynamic agency we’ve grown into a global network with offices in London, New York, Beijing, San Francisco and Mumbai

1994:established as London First Centre — the official foreign direct investment agency for London — as a subsidiary of London First and a true partnership between the private sector and local and central government, with offices in Trafalgar Square, central London. Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge (current chairman, Nomura International plc) is Chairman and Honor Chapman the first Chief Executive
1997: Stephen O’Brian takes over as Chief Executive and Sir Michael Pickard as Chairman

2000: administrative shake-up: the Greater London Authority, headed by the Mayor of London, is established. This city-wide governing body provides a strategic direction for the future of the capital. It controls the London Development Agency, also founded in 2000, which is responsible for driving London’s economic growth
2002: Michael Charlton is appointed London First Centre Chief Executive, continuing in this role today. Ron Spinney, Hammerson Chairman, is appointed Chairman, serving until 2005
2002: we build close working relationships with London’s five regional business agencies: Central London Partnership, Gateway to London, North London Business, South London Business and West London Business
2003: five-year contract signed with the London Development Agency, the Mayor of London's agency for business and jobs and a key funding partner for Think London

2004: we celebrate ten years of helping overseas business set up in London and undertake a strategic review and rebrand; London First Centre becomes Think London, marking a new era of higher-profile thought leadership and international expansion.
2004: launch of the London Focus report ‘One in Seven: the Economic Impact of Inward Investment on the London Economy’ — containing intelligence, insight and analysis of the impact of foreign direct investment in the capital
2005: Ian Barlow, Senior Partner at KPMG’s London office, is appointed Chairman
2005: move to Canary Wharf, London’s booming business district and home to the world’s leading banks, law firms, technology and media organisations.

2006: launch of our business growth consultancy, dedicated to accelerating the growth of overseas companies already established in London
2006: we launch our new service ‘Think London 360’ - a customised tool that captures, analyses and displays data through an interactive geographical map, allowing users to explore critical business, social and cultural info
2006: launch of the London Focus report ‘ Career Capital — London and the Global Professional’ (PDF) — exploring the impact of working in London on the careers of foreign-born executives and written in collaboration with the Cranfield School of Management
2006: New York office opens in March
2006: Beijing office opens in April
2007: San Francisco office opens in March
2007: launch of the third in the series of London Focus, entitled ‘£52 billion' (PDF)
2007: unveil our 2012 Games strategy to maximize inward investment in London as a result of hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
2007: Mumbai office opens in October