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Danny Lopez

British Consul-General, New York

Part of UK in USA [New York]

3rd October 2011 New York, USA

The “Monster Month”

With one month to go until the New York City Marathon, I am about to enter what is often called the “Monster Month” – the month that involves the most intense, grueling and critical final weeks of training. It is said that a runner’s efforts during their “Monster Month” can make or break their success come marathon day.

Meanwhile, here at the Consulate in New York, we are just catching our breath after what has been a different type of “Monster Month.” September is always one of the busiest periods for both the Consulate and the UK Mission to the United Nations as New York plays host to global leaders during the UN General Assembly gathering. This year was no exception.

In between bilateral meetings, our Consulate team had our ministers running all over town meeting business contacts and key stakeholders and giving media interviews. Foreign Secretary William Hague opened Standard Chartered’s new offices in Manhattan; Cabinet Office Minister Frances Maude met with new and potential UK investors at a business reception graciously hosted by Cunard, on board Queen Elizabeth; Home Secretary Theresa May hosted a lunch with women business leaders; Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley hosted an event for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies; and Minister Alistair Burt led discussions with the British American Business Chapters, just to name a few.

Without a doubt, the highlight of the month was the launch of the GREAT campaign by the Prime Minister at the iconic New York Stock Exchange. The GREAT campaign has been very well received on this side of the Atlantic, and it is a fantastic platform for promoting Britain’s strengths to the rest of the world. As the UK warms up for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee, there has never been a more crucial moment to shout about our successes and showcase the very best of Britain.

In the meantime, I need to start warming up for the marathon. September was a Monster Month for the Consulate, and in the end, our preparations paid off. I better make sure I do the same with my training!

About Danny Lopez

Danny was appointed British Consul-General, New York in July 2011 and has responsibility for promoting the UK’s economic profile, foreign policy and national security priorities in New York, New Jersey,…

Danny was appointed British Consul-General, New York in July 2011 and has responsibility for promoting the UK’s economic profile, foreign policy and national security priorities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut’s Fairfield County. He is on the Board of UK Trade & Investment, the foreign commercial arm of the UK Government, and leads its operations across the USA. Prior to joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Consul-General Lopez enjoyed a varied career in the UK’s public and private sectors. From 2009 to 2011, he worked for the London Development Agency, the Mayor of London’s economic development arm, as Group Director for Business Support and Promotion. During this time, he was responsible for creating London & Partners, the UK capital’s promotional agency for business, visitors and students and was its inaugural CEO. From 2006 to 2009, he was Managing Director, Marketing & Communications at UK Trade & Investment, where he was responsible for delivering a new marketing strategy to promote and showcase the UK economy internationally. Previously, he worked at Barclays Bank for ten years, where he held a number of senior international positions, including Director of Business Banking USA in New York, Head of Inward Investment in London and Business Development Director in India. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics and a Masters in International Economics and Finance from the University of Essex. He is recently engaged to his Australian fiancee Susan and is a big fan of running, tennis, football (soccer) and Formula 1.

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