British
Ambassador Westmacott makes whirlwind Chicago visit
November 12,
2012
Sir Peter Westmacott
made a flurry of appearances around Chicago over the weekend.
The British ambassador to the United States schmoozed with
the mayor, attended a gala at the Art Institute of Chicago, did a little
business and made time for a friend.
He and Mayor Rahm Emanuel talked Saturday about the
Sister City relationship between Chicago and the industrial city of Birmingham,
England, and Prime Minister David Cameron's recent interest in tech
incubator 1871 in Chicago. The prime minister visited the entrepreneurial
hotbed earlier this year.
“Our tech companies and startups may be built in Chicago,
but their reach is global. By continuing to strengthen our international
relationships, we are ensuring that Chicago remains the most strategically
advantageous city in the world for both entrepreneurs and established
businesses,” Mr. Emanuel said in a release about their meeting.
Mr. Westmacott joined officials from the Art Institute for
the opening of the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries, which features
more than 500 pieces of Greek, Byzantine and Roman art. Part of the exhibition,
which runs through Aug. 25, is devoted to late Roman and early Byzantine
treasures from the British Museum.
Along with the Jaharises, attendees included John Calamos, founder of the asset management
company bearing his name and chairman of the National Hellenic Museum in
Chicago, and Archbishop Demetrios, who heads the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America.
Earlier
in the day, the British ambassador stopped by Tribeca Flashpoint for a private
tour with Tribeca Flashpoint Academy CEO Howard Tullman. Mr.
Westmacott and Mr. Tullman discussed how to bring Chicago entrepreneurial
efforts to London.
The British official also visited with his friend Laurence Geller, the British native and
hotelier who recently stepped down as head of Strategic Hotels.
Follow Shia on Twitter at @ShiaKapos.