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Lord Young: the powerhouse of innovation at 82

The life peer on Judaism, Margaret Thatcher, David Cameron and Scotland

June 30, 2014 12:12
Read the face: a portrait of Lord Young (Portrait: Sandra Shashou)

By

Sandy Rashty,

Sandy Rashty

5 min read

David Young, formally known as Lord Young of Graffham, was this week described as a traditional English gentleman with a passion for Israeli technology.

“In certain respects, he’s very English; he has an old-school charm and politeness about him. In other respects, he’s very Israeli; he loves technology and is not afraid of a good argument,” said UK Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould, who spoke at the British Israeli Business Awards on Monday, where Lord Young received his first Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Well, I am a Jew,” accepts Lord Young, 82, when asked how he received the description.

I met Lord Young the next morning, at his Young Associates technology investment company office on Marylebone Road in London — a short walk away from the home he shares with his wife Lita.