financial centre. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1989 New Year Honours and was created a Life Peer on 22 July 1997 as Baron Levene of Portsoken, of Portsoken in the City of London; he sits as a crossbencher. Lord Levene holds three other non-executive directorships in addition to Starr underwriting, as chairman of Tikehau Capital Europe Ltd, and on the boards of Haymarket Media Group, and[[China Construction Bank (Asia). He is a member of the House of Lords Finance Committee and was also a member of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. He was appointed by the Secretary of State for Defence in July 2010 to chair the Defence Reform Group, a body set up to review proposals for changes in structure in the UK Ministry of Defence. This body reported in June 2011 and their recommendations are now being implemented. He speaks French, German and Italian. Family Lord Levene is married to Wendy, Lady Levene, who is active in many charities. She is a trustee of the Jewish Museum. She had polymyalgia rheumatica and is a trustee of the associated charity, PMRGCA UK. In 1989, she launched HMS Argyll, a Royal Navy warship sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Paviors. They have three children – John Levene, born 1968, Nicole Walsh, born 1969, Tim Levene – born 1973, and ten grandchildren. Titles and honours Sir Peter Levene KBE (1989–1997) The Rt. Hon. The Lord Levene of Portsoken KBE (since 1997) The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of London (1998–1999) Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) (1989) Knight of St John (KStJ) (1998) Commander of the Ordre national du Mérite (France, 1996) Knight Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1998) Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (1999) Fellow, Queen Mary University of London (1995) Hon DSc City University London (1998) Hon DSc University of London (2005) Insurance Leader of the Year Award 2009, St John's University, New York Awarded the Lloyd's Gold Medal for Services to Lloyd's, October 2011 Arms Publications Levene, Peter – Send for Levene. Autobiography; introduction by Michael Heseltine. Published 2018 by Nine Elms Books, London. . References Who's Who 2011 External links Lord Levene awarded Gold Medal – Lord Levene awarded Gold Medal for Services to Lloyd's General Dynamics UK Limited – Home Page –