25 years of serving up business titans over breakfast

From central bankers to tech titans to cabinet ministers and global CEOs, Jewish Care’s Business Breakfasts have attracted a guest list that reads like a who’s who of British business and beyond.

For 25 years, the person welcoming them to the stage has been Lord Howard Leigh of Hurley. Now, after a quarter of a century – and 80 breakfasts – chairing the organisation’s flagship business event, Lord Leigh is stepping down, marking the end of an era for one of Jewish Care’s most influential platforms.

Since the first Business Breakfast 30 years ago, the event has raised over £6 million helping Jewish Care provide care and support to older people in the community. Lord Leigh took to the helm in 2000, replacing Sir Lloyd Dorfman. He has now handed over the reins to Simon Lyons, the co-head of Europe at Ardea Partners.

Over the decades, the breakfasts have attracted an extraordinary roster of speakers, including Sir Stuart Rose, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Mark Carney, David Cameron, Sir Mark Tucker, Sir Martin Sorrell, Piers Morgan and most recently, David Schwimmer, CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group, each one offering fresh insights into shifting markets, leadership, and British business.

Lord Leigh, who has attended every one of the 100 plus breakfasts, said the decision to step down came at the right moment.“It was 25 years – time to pass on the baton,” he says. “We had an excellent candidate, so it seemed a good moment to hand it over, allow someone else a go, and go out on a high.”

During his tenure, Lord Leigh has seen “some incredible highlights”, none more memorable than during the financial crisis in 2009. “Eric Daniels, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, was due to speak at the breakfast on the Monday morning but rang me on the Friday to say that he had to see the Governor of the Bank of England on the morning of our breakfast,” recalls Lord Leigh. “I scrambled around all weekend to find a replacement, which I managed… and then on Sunday evening Eric called again to say that he had told the Governor of the Bank that he had something he needed to attend. He came and gave the most incredible speech about what was going on in the markets. It really was amazing.”

He also recalls the time Lord Michael Spencer, founder of NEX Group and former Conservative Party treasurer, enjoyed the breakfast so much that he sent Jewish Care a substantial donation the very next day.

Lord Leigh has witnessed significant shifts in the business landscape. The biggest change? “There’s been a slight reduction in the number of big business personalities. Twenty years ago, there were a lot of people who enjoyed public speaking, but now many crawl into a shell and don’t want to be out there. We’ve always managed to find great speakers, but it has become harder.”

Securing sponsorships has also become more challenging, “not because we’re Jewish, but as part of a wider general trend,” he noted.

Across the years, only one dream guest remained elusive. “The one we never quite managed to get was Michael Bloomberg [businessman and former Mayor of New York],” Lord Leigh says with a smile. “But we got everyone else – Bank of England governors, top industrialists, politicians, journalists… the very best.”

The atmosphere, he says, has always been part of the magic. “There was always a buzz in the room – an excitement. And we always had really good venues that people enjoyed.” And one tradition never changed: “Tony Page catering,” he laughs.

Lord Leigh paid tribute to the “exceptional Jewish Care staff. It takes a lot of work and dedication – they do a fantastic job.”

Lord Leigh remains senior partner at Cavendish, the corporate finance firm he co-founded and helped grow into one of the UK’s leading independent M&A advisers. He is also chair of the Jerusalem Foundation in the UK, serves as president of Westminster Synagogue and sits on the board of BICOM. So, he won’t, he jokes, be having a lie-in any time soon – nor breaking his 100% attendance record. He plans to remain closely involved with the breakfasts.

“One of the most rewarding things has been the impact of the breakfasts,” he adds. “We’ve brought into the Jewish community people who had never heard of Jewish Care and have now discovered it, which is a really good thing.”