After service in the Parachute Regiment, a law degree and MBA at Cambridge and Columbia Universities respectively, Geoffrey spent his early career based in Switzerland and Brussels with Shell and subsequently Bowater as their Chief Executive for Europe. Geoffrey then became Chief Executive of the Tootal Group at a time of significant change, as the Group was converted from a labour intensive business with 12,000 employees into an internationally competitive multinational group with leadership in the UK, US and growing Asian markets.