Michael Spencer

Michael Spencer is Chairman and Chief Executive of ICAP. Along with strengthening ICAP’s charitable contributions Michael introduced Charity Day in 1993. Since then Charity Day has raised millions of pounds for countless well deserving and needy causes globally. Charities around the world have been able to achieve results through ICAP donations that otherwise would have been unattainable.

Michael has been with ICAP since its founding in 1986. Since then he has always ensured a continual emphasis on reinvesting back into the local community. Michael’s aim was for ICAP to contribute positive changes on a global level. Prior to Charity Day, ICAP gave money to charities on an ad-hoc basis; Charity Day paved the way for philanthropic efforts on a larger and more innovative scale. The aim became to make a significant difference to select charities, rather than contribute small amounts of money to many. For one business day (Charity Day) the ICAP brokers themselves give away their own commissions to charity, and in addition the company gives away its revenues.

Charity Day offers ICAP a chance to utilise their privileged position in the financial world to actively contribute positively to those in need in a unique and effective form of philanthropy. The idea that customers give away their revenue and staff their personal earnings is potentially a difficult concept to sell but through Michael’s persistence rallying and making the day an enjoyable experience for staff and clients, by giving each charity day a comic theme and enlisting celebrity support, it has been highly successful. Michael has pioneered a new strategy of giving that is a sustained form of corporate social responsibility and brings high net worth individuals in contact with giving; a model that has other organisations in the sector have chosen to replicate.

ICAP Charity Day has now been running successfully for 14 years in ICAP offices around the world. The firm’s international staff of approximately 3,400 employees, have collectively raised over £34 million pounds for charity, and countless individuals have been touched by the philanthropic efforts of the firm.

“Michael also gives a great deal of his time in a year by taking a personal interest and visiting where possible the recipient charities. All in all an incredible accomplishment solely thanks to Michael’s personal dedication and drive.”

Vartkess Knadjian Group Chief Executive, Backes & Strauss

“(…) it is Michael’s personal commitment to the concerns of others that results in both the manner and scale of the benefactions that are annually dispersed.”

Lord Richard Attenborough

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