Jewish Leadership Council chairman Mick Davis has been much in the news of late trying to stitch together the mega-merger between Xstrata and Glencore.

But within the corridors of North-West London, British Jewry’s top lay leader has been the topic of talk for a different reason — that he could be stepping down in the not too distant future as chairman of the UJIA.
Word has it that the South Africa-born philanthropist, who has headed the UJIA for seven years, could be succeeded by another ex-pat, American Bill Benjamin.

A former co-chairman of the Assembly of the Masorti Synagogues, Mr Benjamin sat on the JLC’s schools commission and is a trustee of the Jewish Community Secondary School.

Professionally, he is the European head of an international property investment firm.