Ken Costa was born in South Africa and studied philosophy and law at
the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where he became
President of the Students’ Union and was active in the student protest
movements against apartheid. He went on to study law and theology at the
University of Cambridge.
Following university, he went to work for an investment bank in the
City of London, where he has worked for over 30 years. After serving as
Vice-Chairman of UBS Investment Bank, a global financial institution,
where he advised international corporations, Mr Costa was named as the
Chairman of Lazard International, joining the bank in October 2007.
Ken Costa is the Chairman of Alpha International, which promotes the
Alpha course - an introduction to the Christian faith attended by over 2
million people in the UK and 10 million worldwide – and Church Warden
of Holy Trinity Brompton. He is Chairman of the Tick Tock Club appeal on
behalf of Great Ormond Street Hospital; a member of the Advisory
Council of the London Symphony Orchestra; and a Trustee of the UK arm of
the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
He and his wife, Fi, live in London. They have two sons and two daughters.