Simon Cairns

Background

Cairns is the son of Rear-Admiral David Cairns, 5th Earl Cairns, and Barbara Jeanne Harrisson Burgess.

Education

He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Career

Cairns was Managing Director of South. G. Warburg & Company 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 South. G. Warburg & Company between 1985 and 1995. He succeeded his father in the earldom on 21 March 1989. He was Receiver-General of the Duchy of Cornwall between 1990 and 2000.

He was Chief Executive of South. G. Warburg & Company between 1991 and 1995.

He was invested as a Commander, Order of the British Empire (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1992. He was Chairman of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Group plc from 1995.

He was chairman of British American Tobacco 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.

Lord Cairns married Amanda Mary Heathcoat-Amory, daughter of Major Edward Fitzgerald Heathcoat-Amory and Sonia Myrtle Denison, on 4th February 1964.

They have three sons:

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

Achievements

• Cairns was invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (Commander of the Royal Victorian Order) in 2000.

Membership

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