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.