The Freedom of the City of London is a living tradition: one of the oldest ceremonies still in existence, with a direct line of recipients dating back to 1237. Awards by invitation are given to people living or working in the City who have made a meaningful contribution to London. Sue Primmer’s invitation comes as part of a move by the City of London Corporation to recognise ‘100 Women’, a century after women first gained the vote. Sue’s nomination was sponsored by Catherine McGuinness, Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee of the City of London Corporation.
The full list of all 100 women recognised is published on the Corporation of the City of London’s website.
Sue comments
“Working in the City is a privilege and being invited to receive the Freedom is tremendously exciting. London is a fascinating local-global economy, and having worked across diverse sectors I have a variety of perspectives on what makes for good ‘citizenship’. To be recognised as one of 100 women makes me thankful to all who fought for what we now take for granted.”
Catalyst CEO Andrew Middleton adds
“I’ve worked with Sue for over six years and seen at first hand her commitment to the well-being of people and places. She’s unusually widely networked and has the ability to connect ideas and people who wouldn’t otherwise encounter one another, to the benefit of both. I’m delighted that her impact has been recognised and, with our colleagues, congratulate her on becoming Catalyst’s first ‘Free Sister‘.”
Notes to Editors
- Catalyst is headquartered in the City of London. The firm was previously based on Fleet Street, in the City’s Castle Baynard Ward. In February 2019 Catalyst relocated and expanded into its new City of London Headquarters at 111 Old Broad Street, in the City’s Old Broad Street Ward.
- Sue Primmer has lived in London for 13 years and has worked in financial services for 10 years. Her previous roles have included Assistant Chief Executive, Communications & Consultation for the London Borough of Hackney, which included work to secure a meaningful local legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games. Sue served pro bono as a Governor of Hackney Community College during its merger with Tower Hamlets College to form New City College, one of London’s largest providers of further education. Before moving to London, Sue was Director of Communications for the University of Birmingham, working closely with the Russell Group to shape national higher education policy and with the BBC to create the BBC Drama Village. She currently sits on the Advisory Board of Thwaites Communications and is a member of Women on Boards, Editorial Intelligence and the National Union of Journalists. A graduate of New Hall, Cambridge Sue also holds an MLitt in Shakespeare and gender studies from the University of Durham. She lives with her family and husband, a clergyman and Royal Naval Reserve Chaplain, in London’s East End.
Note: This news article was first published by Catalyst prior to the Sionic merger
