Speakers

The Rt Hon the Lord Young of Graffham PC DL has had a distinguished career, first graduating from University College London and then becoming a Solicitor.  After a year he left the profession and went to work for The Great Universal Stores Ltd. where he worked for the Chairman Sir Isaac Wolfson, Bart.  After five years he left to set up the first of his businesses and founded the Eldonwall Group engaged in Industrial Property, Civil Engineering, Plant hire.  In 1970 he sold out to Town & City Properties (now part of P&O).  In 1974 he started a joint venture with Manufacturers Hanover Bank in real estate lending and a housebuilding company, Greenwood Homes.

In 1979 he entered the Department of Industry as a Special Adviser to Sir Keith Joseph, charged with introducing what subsequently became known as privatisation.  In 1982 he became Chairman of the Manpower Services Commission and a member of the National Economic Development Council and instituted a number of programmes designed to alleviate youth and adult unemployment.

In 1984 he joined the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for employment programmes, became a peer and a Privy Councillor.  He became Secretary of State for Employment in 1985 and played a leading role in the 1987 election after which he was made the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry and President of the Board of Trade. He retired from government in July 1989 and served as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party until June 1990.  That year also saw the publication of his political memoirs “The Enterprise Years: a Businessman in the Cabinet”.
 
In 1990 he joined the board of Salomon Inc and later that year became Executive Chairman of Cable & Wireless PLC.  He retired from that in 1995 and opened Young Associates as private investors in technology companies.  He is Chairman of a number of companies in which they have an interest.

Apart from his business interests, Lord Young was President of the Institute of Directors until 2002, Chairman of Council, University College London until 2005, was the founder Chairman of the West Sussex Economic Forum, was the Chairman of the London Philharmonic Trust until 1997 and since then has been Chairman of Chichester Festival Theatre.  He is Chairman of the Institute of Cultural Heritage at UCL.  He was the Chairman of the West Sussex Design Commission.

He recently retired from the Council of the Princes Trust where he had responsibilities for fundraising and the business programme and is currently President of the Patrons Network.  He is President of the Coram Trust and of Chai Cancercare.  He is either Chairman or a member of the board of a number of Foundations.

He holds an honorary Doctor of Science from Cranfield University (1988) and an honorary Doctor of Laws from UCL (2006).

He has lived in Graffham since 1971 and is a DL (retired).

Lord Young is married with two children (and five grandchildren) and his interests include music, book collecting and photography, where he has held a number of exhibitions.