George Bridges

George Bridges is senior adviser to Ana Botin, the group executive chair of Banco Santander. His focus is on responsible business practices – helping to ensure that Santander acts and behaves responsibly in all it does. Earlier in his career, George helped to devise and implement a strategy to make Santander’s culture simple, personal, and fair – an approach that is now being rolled out across the Santander group worldwide.

Before returning to Santander, George was Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) between July 216 and June 217. He was responsible for helping to prepare the Government’s negotiating position for the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union; overseeing plans to ensure the UK’s economy and infrastructure is ready for the UK’s withdrawal; and developing the domestic legislation needed to implement the UK’s withdrawal. In 217 he took the legislation to trigger Article 5 through the House of Lords.

Before the referendum, George was a minister in the Cabinet office, where he helped to implement and coordinate government policy on a wide range of issues such as infrastructure, childcare, apprenticeships, and counter extremism. He took a number of pieces of legislation through the Lords, including reforms to the Bank of England and financial regulation, as well as charity law.

Previously he ran Quiller Consultants, a strategic communications company, at which he advised multinational companies, foreign governments, and public institutions on all aspects of communications.

Before working at Quiller, George worked in politics and the media. From 1994 to 1997 George worked in 1 Downing Street as assistant political secretary to the Prime Minister; from 24-5 he was chair of the conservative research department, helping to shape and implement the party’s political strategy; from 26-7 he was campaign director for the conservative party, responsible for the party’s media, political and campaign teams.

George spent two years at The Times, writing editorials on politics and domestic issues; and worked for Britain’s largest commercial terrestrial broadcaster, helping to set up the country’s digital terrestrial television network.

In 211 George helped the former CEO of Tesco, Sir Terry Leahy (whom he had advised until 21), write Management in Ten Words.

George was educated at Eton College; Exeter College, Oxford (where he was a Stapledon Scholar, and was awarded a First in Modern History); and the University of Pennsylvania (where he was a Thouron Scholar). He was awarded an MBE in 1997 and became a life peer in 215. He sits on the conservative benches.

He is married and has three children.