GRIFFITH
Andrew

• 1. Early life and education
• 2. Business career
• 3. Political career
• 4. Personal life

Andrew Griffith (born 23 February 1971)[1] is a British Conservative Party politician and former senior media executive who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Arundel and South Downs since 2019[2] and Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit since 2022.

Early life and education

Griffith was born in Bexleyheath, London, England. He grew up in Bromley[4] and attended St Marys & St Josephs, a state comprehensive school, in Sidcup. From 1989 to 1992 he studied law at Nottingham University. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1996.

Business career

Griffith first worked for Rothschild & Co and PwC, before joining Sky in 1999 as a financial analyst.[5] By 2008, he rose to become Sky's chief financial officer, joining the board of directors, and at the time of his appointment was the youngest financial director in the FTSE 100.[6] In March 2016 he also took on the role of group chief operating officer.[7] When Comcast acquired Sky in 2018, Griffith earned about £17m from the sale of shares.[8]

He is a member of the Royal Television Society and was co-chairman of its 2017 Cambridge convention.[9]

In April 2014, Griffith joined the board of Just Eat as a senior non-executive director, a post which he held in combination with his full-time role at Sky. In 2017, Just Eat was hit by the several challenges, losing its non-executive chairman to poor health, its chief executive officer stepping down and the Competition and Markets Authority reviewing Just Eat's acquisition of competitor Hungryhouse. During this period, Griffith took on the role of chairman.[10]

Political career

Griffith stood as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the constituency of Corby in 2001 and 2005 but lost to Labour Party candidates on both occasions.[8]

Griffith is a former chairman of the advisory board at the Centre for Policy Studies think tank.[11]

Boris Johnson used Griffith's £9.5 million townhouse as his leadership election campaign headquarters.[12][13] In 2019, Griffith stepped down from his roles at Sky and Just Eat to become Johnson's chief business adviser, based in 10 Downing Street.[14][15] He took on the role in July.[8]

He was elected as the MP for Arundel and South Downs at the 2019 general election by a majority of 22,521 votes,[2] following the retirement of previous Conservative Nick Herbert.[16] He stood down from his role as the prime minister's chief business adviser upon election.[17][18]

On 17 November 2020, Griffith was appointed by Boris Johnson to be the UK's 'Net Zero Business Champion', a role designed to support UK businesses to make plans to be net zero by 2050 in the run up to the UN Climate Summit in Glasgow in November 2021.[19] On 10 November 2020, he was appointed as a member of the Public Service Broadcasting Advisory Panel,[20] to provide independent expertise and advice as part of the government's strategic review of public service broadcasting.

On 17 September 2021, Griffith was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the prime minister Boris Johnson, alongside Sarah Dines, during the second cabinet reshuffle of the second Johnson ministry.[21]

Griffith is the founder of and, until his appointment as Minister, co-chaired with The Lord Rees of Ludlow, Astronomer Royal, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dark Skies.[22]

On 3 February 2022, Griffith became Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office (Minister for Policy) director of the Number 10 Policy Unit,[23] following the resignation of Munira Mirza.[24]

Personal life

Griffith married Barbara, a volunteer charity worker, in 1997 and they have a son and daughter. As a businessman, he resided in Putney, in the London Borough of Wandsworth.[4] Griffith has resided in the constituency of Arundel and South Downs[25] for 10 years.[26]

His father, an IT salesman named John,[4] died of COVID-19.[27]