Sir Adam Ridley

Sir Adam Nicholas Ridley is a British economist, civil servant, and banker. He was a Special Advisor to the Chancellors of the Exchequer between 1979 and 1984 and later a director of Hambros Bank, of Morgan Stanley, and of several Equitas insurance companies.

Ridley was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where he took first class honours in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 1965. After joining the Foreign Office in 1965, Ridley was quickly seconded to the recently established Department of Economic Affairs.

He was with HM Treasury from 1970 to 1971, then joined Edward Heath's new Central Policy Review Staff (or "Think Tank") and remained there until the change of government in 1974. He then served for five years as Economic Adviser to the Conservative Shadow Cabinets of Heath and Margaret Thatcher. In 1979, Ridley became Director of the Conservative Research Department. Following the Conservative victory in the general election of 1979, he was briefly at 10, Downing Street, before returning to the Treasury as a Special Advisor.

Ridley's final post in the world of government was as advisor to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for part of 1985. That year, he was knighted and made a career move into merchant banking. He was a director of Hambros Bank and of Hambros PLC from 1985 to 1997, and of Sunday Newspaper Publishing PLC from 1988 to 1990, serving as chairman in 1990. He was also Chairman of the Lloyd's of London Names Advisory Committee for 1995–1996, then a member of the Council of Lloyds and of the Lloyds Regulatory Board from 1997 to 1999. After leaving Hambros, he was a non-executive director of Leopold Joseph Holdings from 1997 to 2004, of Morgan Stanley Bank International from 2006 to 2013 and of Hampden Agencies Ltd from 2007 to 2012, and then of several Equitas insurance companies from 2009 to date.

Sir Adam Nicholas Ridley is a British economist, civil servant, and banker. He was a Special Advisor to the Chancellors of the Exchequer between 1979 and 1984 and later a director of Hambros Bank, of Morgan Stanley, and of several Equitas insurance companies.

Ridley was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where he took first class honours in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 1965. After joining the Foreign Office in 1965, Ridley was quickly seconded to the recently established Department of Economic Affairs.

He was with HM Treasury from 1970 to 1971, then joined Edward Heath's new Central Policy Review Staff (or "Think Tank") and remained there until the change of government in 1974. He then served for five years as Economic Adviser to the Conservative Shadow Cabinets of Heath and Margaret Thatcher. In 1979, Ridley became Director of the Conservative Research Department. Following the Conservative victory in the general election of 1979, he was briefly at 10, Downing Street, before returning to the Treasury as a Special Advisor.

Ridley's final post in the world of government was as advisor to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for part of 1985. That year, he was knighted and made a career move into merchant banking. He was a director of Hambros Bank and of Hambros PLC from 1985 to 1997, and of Sunday Newspaper Publishing PLC from 1988 to 1990, serving as chairman in 1990. He was also Chairman of the Lloyd's of London Names Advisory Committee for 1995–1996, then a member of the Council of Lloyds and of the Lloyds Regulatory Board from 1997 to 1999. After leaving Hambros, he was a non-executive director of Leopold Joseph Holdings from 1997 to 2004, of Morgan Stanley Bank International from 2006 to 2013 and of Hampden Agencies Ltd from 2007 to 2012, and then of several Equitas insurance companies from 2009 to date.