George Robertson

Biography

Lord Robertson served as Secretary General of NATO, one of only three Britons to ever hold the post, and the most recent. Prior to leading the organisation he was Secretary of State for Defence. In both roles he oversaw dramatic changes in defence, security and international relations. After leaving public office he served in a range of business, political and advisory roles.

George Robertson was born in the village police station on the Isle of Islay, into a family of policemen. He began his career as a union organiser in the Scottish whisky industry. Then as Labour MP for Hamilton he began to specialise in foreign policy, and to build a lasting reputation for both Atlanticist and pro-European views. He served as Opposition Spokesman for Scottish and Foreign Affairs, as well as Defence. On Labour’s 1997 election victory he became Secretary of State for Defence, before leading NATO during a period encompassing UK-US tensions, conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and major geopolitical shifts in the post-Cold War era.

After his term in charge of NATO, George took on roles including Special Advisor to BP and Chairman of BP's Russian project, Deputy Chairman of Cable & Wireless, and non-executive roles in engineering, construction and transport companies. He also served as President of foreign policy think tank Chatham House, Chaired the Ditchley Foundation and co-chaired a joint Commission on post-Brexit Franco-British defence. He later returned to a more domestic role leading the government's Strategic Defence Review.