Sir Mark Rowley rose to public prominence during an earlier four year spell as the police’s national head of counter-terrorism policing starting 2014.
During that time he oversaw the investigations into the succession of terror attacks in 2017 at Westminster, Manchester Arena and London Bridge as well as leading his colleagues in foiling many other plots. He was knighted in 2018 for his work.
Sir Mark, who was announced as the next Met commisioner on Friday, also had to cope with the impact of the conflict in Syria at a time when the Islamic State was on the rise and operating its so called “caliphate” in the country and the flow of British foreign fighters to the war zone.
A Cambridge University maths graduate, his earlier police career included another several other years at the Met overseeing efforts by the force to tackle organised crime, gangs and fraud among other problems.
Sir Mark, 57, also led the Met’s response to the London riots of 2011 and in 2014 had to face a gauntlet of angry protesters outside the Royal Courts of Justice following an inquest finding that the police shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham that led to the disorder had been lawful.
He started his career in West Midlands Police and was also Chief Constable of Surrey between 2008 and 2011. He has highlighted his work there in boosting public confidence as an indication that he could do the same for the Met despite the deluge of scandals that have hit the force over the past year and more.
Since retiring he has been writing a novel but has also kept closely involved with policing and terrorism, advising the government’s counter-extremism commissioner and writing for other think tanks.
He is married with two adult children and has said that he enjoys walking, films and travel, running and yoga, He is also an Aston Villa supporter.
