He was educated at the City of London School and then studied at the University of Manchester where he graduated with a degree in Economics and Political Science.

Prior to this, he held the position of chairman of Bankers Trust International and was formerly with both Morgan Stanley and Wasserstein Perella.

He joined United Scientific Holdings in 1963, a small company which grew into a substantial supplier to UK and overseas Ministries of Defence.

He thereafter held a number of Government posts, as Advisor to the Secretary of State for the Environment; to the President of the Board of Trade; and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

He served as a member of the Board of Directors of J Sainsbury plc from 2001 to 2004, and of Total S.A., from 2005 to 2011, and was chairman of General Dynamics UK Ltd until 2019.

[5][6] Levene has held three other non-executive directorships in addition to Starr underwriting, as chairman of Tikehau Capital Europe Ltd, and on the boards of Haymarket Media Group, and China Construction Bank.