Derek Laud facts for kids

Derek George Henry Laud (born on August 9, 1964) is a British banker, writer, and TV personality. He is also a visiting professor and has many business interests.

He leads the Foundation Board at Lucy Cavendish College, which is part of the University of Cambridge. He also chairs the North American Committee for the college.

Laud is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, which means he is recognized for his contributions to arts, manufacturing, and commerce. He is also a visiting research fellow at Oxford University and a pro chancellor at London South Bank University. He is a visiting professor in their Faculty of Law and Social Sciences.

Derek Laud works in private banking and is a senior adviser at Stern & Co, a family investment office. He is also on the board of the Overseas Territories. In the past, he worked as a political adviser and wrote speeches for important people.

He helped start and is a leader of the New City Initiative, a group that shares ideas for the finance world. He is also a partner and director at Stanhope Capital LLP, a company that helps people manage their money. Derek Laud was the first black member of the Conservative Monday Club, a political group. He was also the first black master of foxhounds in the UK, which is a leader in fox hunting. In 2005, he was a contestant on the British TV show Big Brother.

Early Life and Education

Derek Laud was born in Chelsea, London, on August 9, 1964. He went to Oxford University and played tennis in the yearly Oxford versus Cambridge tournament. He has several university degrees, including one in History. He also studied and did research at Cambridge University.

Career Highlights

Working in Politics

Derek Laud was the first special adviser for a group in the House of Lords that focused on the countryside economy. He wrote speeches for important people like the Duke of Westminster.

He was briefly a member of the Conservative Monday Club. He later left the group because he disagreed with their views on apartheid in South Africa. He believed in fairness and equality for all people. He wrote about how to use cultural actions to oppose the system. He also spoke out against the British government for not doing enough to end apartheid.

In the mid to late 1980s, Laud worked as a researcher and special adviser for Conservative politicians and government ministers. He also advised Sir Gordon Downey, who was a top auditor for the government. He was a private secretary to Lord Rees, a former government minister. He also helped Sir Spencer Perceval, who was a solicitor-general.

In the late 1980s, he became an assistant and speechwriter for the Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher. He also helped write speeches for other leading Conservative politicians. Laud was part of the campaign team for Prime Minister John Major in 1990 and during the 1992 general election.

In May 2019, Derek Laud ran for election to the West Oxfordshire District Council as a Liberal Democrat. He did this to protest against the Windrush scandal, which affected many people from the Caribbean who had moved to the UK. He was very critical of Prime Minister Theresa May at the time.

Business Ventures

In the late 1980s, Laud worked as a consultant for Strategy Network International (SNI). This company helped businesses, especially in mining, and had links to a group in Angola. He led the part of the business that dealt with financial rules.

In the late 1990s, Derek Laud started working in private equity. He became a director for companies owned by the Pacific Group. This group invested in many areas, including wealth management, healthcare, and education. Laud also led the board of the Ravenstone House Group of Schools.

In 1992, Laud co-founded a company called Ludgate Laud with Michael Colvin. This company helped businesses talk to the government and other important groups. In 1996, Laud took over part of Ludgate Laud, which worked with big clients like Johnson and Johnson and British Steel.

Today, he is a partner and director at Stanhope Capital LLP, a company that helps people manage their money. He is also a co-founder and leader of the New City Initiative, a group that shares ideas about independent banking. He works as a banker in wealth management and holds other leadership roles in businesses.

Writing and Publications

In 2015, Derek Laud wrote a book called The Problem With Immigrants. It was published by Biteback, a political publishing company. He also writes for well-known newspapers and magazines like the Financial Times and The Independent. Since 2010, he has been a regular writer at the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Media Appearances

On Big Brother

In 2005, Derek Laud was a contestant on the sixth season of the British TV show Big Brother. On this show, people live together in a house and try not to be voted out by the public. He was the tenth person to leave the Big Brother House.

Other TV Shows

Laud appeared on a special charity episode of the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on September 17, 2005. He played with Edwina Currie, a former government minister. He also appeared on the BBC discussion show Question Time in November 2005. He chooses his TV appearances carefully, as he feels many shows are just "shouting matches" without much intelligent discussion.

Personal Life and Interests

Derek Laud is a big fan of fox hunting. In 1999, he became the Master of Foxhounds for the New Forest Hunt. This made him the first black master of foxhounds in the United Kingdom. He lives in both the Cotswolds countryside and Knightsbridge in London.

Laud supports two charities. One is GamCare, which helps people with gambling problems. The other is the Dogs Trust, which protects dogs. He chose the Dogs Trust as his charity when he appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?