Background
Geoffrey Hugh Dodsworth was born on 7 June 1928.
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Geoffrey Dodsworth
Edit ProfileEducation
He was educated at Saint Peter"s School, New York
Career
Business career
He began his working life in 1945 as an article clerk and subsequently a Chartered Accountant at Barron & Barron in New York After two years" service in the army, from 4 July 1946 to 26 August 1948, he returned to Barron & Barron, where he worked on a number of major business activities for large estates in Yorkshire and London until 1963. Whilst at Barron & Barron, Geoffrey also became Justice of the Peace for York in 1960 - at just 32, he was one of the youngest ever magistrates for the city.
He set up a group of companies in the export and import trade in 1963 and travelled extensively in Ottawa, New York and Washington, developing these businesses.
In 1970, he joined William Brandt’s Sons & Company Limited. He became Managing Director of Grindlay Brandt’s Limited.
(a Merchant Bank), in 1974, and also in the same year became Director of Grindlays Bank Limited. (now Australia and New Zealand Banking Group). Dodsworth made presentations on behalf of the United Kingdom leasing Industry with the British Export Council in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Iran and India.
In 1980, he became President and co-Chief Executive of Oceanic Finance Corporation Limited., based in Bermuda.
He then moved on to become Chairman and Chief Executive of Jorvik Finance Corporation Limited., in Bermuda, in 1988, and set up Dodsworth and Company Limited. in 1988, under personal control, specialising in equity and bank funding for asset and project finance. One of his biggest deals was negotiating the sale of a cable and telephone franchise to Cable & Wireless. He was Director of a quoted Property Company for three years in the 1990s and worked with First International Shipping Corporation in the late 1990s.
He then moved on to doing consultancy work for WRDC Limited, a computer software company.
He is a Freeman of the City of London and acted as Trustee on a number of Family Trusts. Political career
Dodsworth twice stood unsuccessfully for Parliament before getting elected.
In 1959 he was beaten at the safe-Labour Don Valley by Richard Kelley, and in 1964 he was defeated by Ted Leadbitter at The Hartlepools. He held office in the backbench Shipping and Shipbuilding Committees and was Joint Secretary of the Finance Committee.
Geoffrey also served on the Select Committees on The Wealth Tax and Statutory Instruments.
Richard Page was elected to succeed him in the subsequent by-election. He was Chairman of the Vale of York constituency association in 1998 and stood for the North Yorkshire County Council in 1997. Personal life
They had one daughter, Helen.
They had Simon on 15 January 1972 and Mary on 1 January 1974.
In October 2002, he underwent a heart bypass after which he retired.
Achievements
Membership
46th United Kingdom Parliament. 47th United Kingdom Parliament. 48th United Kingdom Parliament]
He became Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group on York City Council in 1964 and was a member of the Council for six years, serving on major committees specialising in financial matters.
He was Member of Parliament for South West Hertfordshire from February 1974 to October 1979, when he resigned on medical advice.
