Simon Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns

Simon Dallas Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns, CVO, CBE (born 27 May 1939), styled Viscount Garmoyle between 1946 and 1989, is a British businessman.

The Earl Cairns
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
21 March 1989 – 11 November 1999
Preceded byThe 5th Earl Cairns
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born
Simon Dallas Cairns

(1939-05-27) 27 May 1939 (age 85)
Political partyCrossbencher
OccupationBusinessman, politician, peer

Background and education

edit

Cairns is the son of Rear-Admiral David Cairns, 5th Earl Cairns, and Barbara Jeanne Harrison Burgess.[1] He was educated at Ludgrove, Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.[2][3]

Career

edit

Cairns was Managing Director of S. G. Warburg & Co. between 1979 and 1985, of Mercury Securities plc between 1981 and 1984, Chairman of Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) between 1981 and 1992, Vice-Chairman of Mercury Securities plc between 1984 and 1986, and a Director of S. G. Warburg & Co. between 1985 and 1995.[3] He succeeded his father in the earldom on 21 March 1989.[4] He was Receiver-General of the Duchy of Cornwall between 1990 and 2000.[3] He was Chief Executive of S. G. Warburg & Co. between 1991 and 1995. He was Chairman of CDC Group plc from 1995.[3]

He was chairman of BAT plc between 1995 and 1998, and was Vice-Chairman of Zurich Allied AG and Zurich Financial Services between 1998 and 2000. He was Chairman of Allied Zurich between 1998 and 2000.[3]

He was appointed Chairman of the African telecommunications company Celtel in October 2007 and was a board member of the charity The Mo Ibrahim Foundation until 2016, alongside Mary Robinson and Kofi Annan.[5]

Honours

edit

He was invested as a Commander, Order of the British Empire (CBE), in 1992. Cairns was invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) in 2000.[3]

Family

edit

Lord Cairns married Amanda Mary Heathcoat-Amory, daughter of Maj. Edward Fitzgerald Heathcoat-Amory (a son of Maj. Ludovic Heathcoat-Amory) and Sonia Myrtle Denison, on 4 February 1964.[3] They have three sons:

  • Hugh Sebastian Frederick Cairns, Viscount Garmoyle (born 26 March 1965).
  • Hon. David Patrick Cairns (born 27 May 1967).
  • Hon. Alistair Benedict Cairns (born 16 May 1969).

References

edit
  1. ^ Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003).
  2. ^ Barber, Richard (2004). The Story of Ludgrove. Oxford: Guidon Publishing. p. 259. ISBN 0-9543617-2-5.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, volume 1, p. 640.
  4. ^ Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, volume 1, p. 641.
  5. ^ "Lord Cairns » Mo Ibrahim Foundation". Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
edit
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Earl Cairns
1989–present
Member of the House of Lords
(1989–1999)
Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Hugh Cairns, Viscount Garmoyle
Baron Cairns
1989–present