Pi Evening - Michael Spencer, Group CEO of ICAP plc, and George Osborne, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Tuesday 4th November 6:00pm

Michael Spencer
Educated at Worth Abbey and Corpus Christi, Oxford, where he read physics, Michael Spencer’s career in the City began in 1976, as a stockbroker at Simon & Coates. In 1980, he joined Drexel Burnham Lambert where he spent three years broking futures and became an Assistant VP. Between 1983 and 1986, Michael was a director at money broker Charles Fulton, until his involvement in the new interest rate swaps market led him to set up the specialist financial derivatives broking firm - Intercapital in May 1986. In October 1998 Intercapital merged with EXCO plc, a listed money broker, and formed Intercapital plc. Michael became Chairman and Chief Executive. The following year Intercapital plc merged again, this time with Garban plc to form ICAP plc, which is now the world’s largest interdealer broker in the derivatives, bond, and money markets.

Michael is also Chairman of the leading financial spread betting bookmaker City Index, the stock brokerage Numis Securities and Blue Square (the UK’s largest independent internet betting company). In February 2007 Michael became Treasurer of the Conservative Party.

George Osborne
George Osborne was educated at St Paul’s School, London, and at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he read modern history. At Oxford he was a demy (scholar) and joint editor of the University magazine Isis. After a short spell as a freelance journalist, George joined the Conservative Research Department in 1994 and became Head of the Political Section. From 1995-7 he was the Special Adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and worked in the Political Office at 10 Downing Street. From 1997-2001 George was Political Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition and Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet. George was elected as the Member of Parliament for Tatton, Cheshire, in June 2001. He became the youngest Conservative MP in the House of Commons and was re-elected in May 2005.

Since May 2005 George has served as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, shadowing Gordon Brown until June 2007, and now shadowing Alastair Darling. He is also in charge of coordinating the Conservative Party’s General Election Campaign. He was responsible for managing David Cameron’s successful campaign for leadership of the Conservative Party. George has served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, Shadow Economic Secretary and as an Opposition Whip. He has also been a member of the Public Accounts Select Committee and the Transport Select Committee.