Introducing the Master and Wardens for 2025-26

14 July 2025

Each July the Company's Master and Wardens change, a handover process that goes back centuries. The annual rotation of Masters empowers the most senior members of the membership to be at the coal face of the Company's work: ensuring that it continues to fulfill its duties in Fraternity, Education, and Philanthropy and remains connected with those across the membership and wider Merchant Taylor networks.

The role of Master is all-consuming, and so Wardens offer their support, sitting across the Company's committees alongside him and providing robust support to ensure his ambitions are affected throughout the year.

Find out more about the Master and Wardens below:

Alderman Sir Nicholas Lyons 

Master

Alderman Sir Nicholas Lyons (Nick) joined the Court as Under Renter Warden in 2019. He served as Sheriff of the City of London in 2021-22 and became the 694th Lord Mayor of London in November 2022-23. He was knighted in the King's Birthday Honours in June 2024. 

He is the Chair of Phoenix Group Holdings, a FTSE 100 company, and also sits on the board of Convex Group, a specialty insurance underwriter.  He is a member of the Leadership Council of TheCityUK, the Advisory Board of the International Business & Diplomatic Exchange, the Capital Markets Industry Taskforce, and the CBI President's Committee.  

Nick's philanthropic interests revolve around education, children's hospice care and the visual and performing arts. He is a founding member of the North West Norfolk Historical Society, Chair of Trustees of the East Anglia Art Fund, a Trustee of the St Paul's Cathedral Choristers' Trust, a Patron of the Temple Bar Trust, a Patron of Music Masters and a Patron of the Barbican Centre. He is a Governor of The King's School, Canterbury, St Dunstan's College in Catford and King Edward's, Witley. He is an Honorary Visiting Professor of City St George's, University of London.

Nick is a keen golfer and was captain of The Royal West Norfolk Golf Club in 2020-21. He is also a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrew's, Sunningdale and Royal St George's in Sandwich. Nick is married to Felicity and they have four married children and eight grandchildren. They spend their weekends in North Norfolk with energetic spaniels.

Lady Harding

First Upper Warden 

After a BA (Hons) degree from Melbourne University and a Master’s degree at London Business School, Annie joined Levi Strauss Northern Europe. From manufacturing, she moved into retail with the John Lewis Partnership. Annie became a director of the new inward investment agency set up by London First to promote London Internationally She was a board member of the Korea Action Group, DTI, and the Kings’ Fund Task Force on Inner City Care for the Elderly. Annie was invited to become Chief Executive of the corporate networking company, Agenda, a non-executive director of a private bank, and a consultant advising senior executives on their next career path. Annie has been a patron of the Loomba Trust, educating the children of poor widows in India, and a trustee of the Shakespeare Schools’ Festival. Through Merchant Taylors’, she was chair of governors at both St Saviour’s & St Olave’s School and St John’s Prep School.

Annie’s husband Christopher was on the Court when they met and was her introduction to the Company. Their daughter Emily is now a Freeman.

Annie is now married to David Walker and has a significant total of five step-children and 15 step-grandchildren.

Harry Parshall

Second Upper Warden

Harry was educated at Eton and went on to Sandhurst where he served in the Irish Guards, of which he is still a trustee. 

He has spent 45 years as a broker of reinsurance and 40 years as an underwriting member of Lloyd’s. 40 years. He is and has been a director of various family companies. He is a past chairman of the City of London Club and wants to bring that experience to the Catering Company. 

Harry is a widower with five children and lives in London and West Sussex. His wife is Juliette Byrne, an interior designer. He has owned and bred racing horses and enjoys wine and shooting. 

Harry’s father, Horace Parshall, was Master in 1958.

Richard Nourse

Upper Renter Warden

Richard has enjoyed coming to Merchant Taylors Hall since he was a child. He is the husband of a regenerative farmer with a special interest in British White Cattle. He is father of two twenty something year olds now becoming productive members of the workforce. 

After a career in the City at Morgan Grenfell and then Merrill Lynch, in 2009 Richard founded and has led Gfreencoat Capital, the leading UK based specialist renewable energy investor which is now part of Schroders. 

Richard became a Freeman by patrimony in 1985, a Liveryman in 2011 and became Under Renter Warden in 2016. He has served as the first chair of MTF since its creation and of the Education Committee.

Lucinda Orr

Under Renter Warden

Free by Redemption in 2016, and a member of Livery from 2020, Lucinda chaired the Livery & Freeman Committee from 2022-2025. Passionate about the Company's education work, she has mentored all four of the schools that participate in the Livery Academy Awards, and has been a Governor of Merchant Taylors' School since 2020.

A keen Company quizzer and skier, Lucinda also captains the Company's Ski team and, over the years, has obtained a Ladies' team Gold and Bronze, and an individual Silver and Bronze at Inter-Livery Ski Championships.

Lucinda is Partner at Enyo Law LLP, specialising in International Commercial Litigation, sits as an Examiner of the Court, and as been appointed by the Minister of Culture to assess the fair value of Treasure finds.


Latest news...

Merchant Taylors' Foundation and Leathersellers' Foundation begin Early Years Programme
13 August 2024

Election Service 2024
12 June 2024