Simon Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns

Simon Dallas Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns, CVO, CBE (born 27 May 1939), styled Viscount Garmoyle between 1946 and 1989, is a British businessman.

Background and education

Cairns is the son of Rear-Admiral David Cairns, 5th Earl Cairns, and Barbara Jeanne Harrisson Burgess. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Career

Cairns was Managing Director of S. G. Warburg & Co. 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 S. G. Warburg & Co. 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 S. G. Warburg & Co. between 1991 and 1995. He was invested as a Commander, Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992. He was Chairman of CDC Group plc from 1995. He was chairman of BAT 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. Cairns was invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) in 2000.

He was appointed Chairman of the African telecommunications company Celtel in October 2007 and was a board member of the charity The Mo Ibrahim Foundation until 2016, alongside Mary Robinson and Kofi Annan.

Family

Lord Cairns married Amanda Mary Heathcoat-Amory, daughter of Major Edward Fitzgerald Heathcoat-Amory and Sonia Myrtle Denison, on 4 February 1964. They have three sons:

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