As an aide to previous treasury secretaries, then as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, he earned a reputation for rapid analysis and decisive responses.

ECONOMIST: The treasury secretary is torn between politics and policy

As an official in President George Bush's Office of Management and Budget, and previously as head of Harvard University's Centre for Risk Analysis, he has built a reputation for evidence-based policymaking.

ECONOMIST: The great race | The

He had a cast-iron reputation for understanding the financial markets, but his analysis would sometimes bring him into conflict with chancellors of the exchequer.

BBC: Obituary: Lord George