Gangbuster: Tackling International Organised Crime with Nick Lewis OBE

Organised crime is one of the greatest challenges facing societies and governments today, and perhaps it always has been.

​Organised crime groups – also known as ‘gangs’ – impact so many parts of society and our economy, and in so many ways that we don’t even realise – whether that be the people smuggling gangs behind the small boats crisis, the international illicit drug trade, human trafficking and modern slavery, or phone snatching in major cities. These problems are so entrenched and pervasive, and extremely difficult to tackle, but there are of course many people on the front line trying to do precisely that. One of those people is Nick Lewis.

​Nick worked in UK law enforcement for over 30 years and led several significant operations with partner agencies around the world into organised crime threats against the UK. He has significant experience in leading complex multi-national investigations and working with public and private bodies to develop effective strategies to reduce and tackle the harm caused by organised crime activity – in particular building effective public-private partnerships and taskforce models.

​In 2008, Nick was posted to the British Embassy, Washington DC. As well as leading the UK’s strategic engagement on organised crime with the US government, Nick led an extensive team of embedded UK liaison officers across the US and the Caribbean, tackling organised crime groups operating at a global level.

​In March 2013, Nick was awarded the National Intelligence Medallion by the US Government, and in 2014 was awarded an OBE for “services to international law and order” by Her Late Majesty the Queen.

​Nick now works as the Manging Director for Financial Crime Risk at Standard Chartered, a bank operating primarily in emerging markets, who he joined in 2016. He is also a Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, Vice-Chair of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, and a member of the Advisory Board to the Royal Foundation Financial Task Force.

​Join us for an evening with Nick to discuss his fascinating career, his current work, and his thoughts on British and international efforts to address some of the most pressing challenges posed by organised crime today.

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