George Westropp

George Westropp, who served as Chairman of the London Press Club between 1990 and 1999, spent the first 10 years of his career as a financial journalist in Fleet Street. After the Sunday Express and Evening Standard City pages, he was appointed assistant City Editor of Extel/PA. In 1970, he became a director of Shareholder Relations Ltd., the financial PR pioneers in the City of London, and was then managing director of Hemingway PR and Cedig Communications. He became national communications director of accountants and consultants Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte & Touche) in 1970 and was admitted to partnership in 1985 - the first PR director to be made a partner in any professional firm in the UK. Working for the entire last 40 years in Fleet Street, George has maintained his links with journalism throughout his working life. A member of the Press Club for many years, he joined the London Press Club shortly after its formation and was a committee member in 1988. Appointed a director in 1989, he stepped down, due to business pressure, in 1999, but was delighted to be asked back onto the board in 2001. With Johnnie Johnson and Bob Edwards, he instituted the Club's annual Scoop of the Year Awards in 1990. He has been a Guildsman of St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, for nearly 20 years.