Matt Ridley is a British science writer, journalist, and businessman born in 1958 in Northumberland, North East England. He is the 5th Viscount Ridley and has established himself as a regular contributor to The Times newspaper, where he writes on science, the environment, and economics. Ridley served as chairman of Northern Rock, a UK bank, from 2004 to 2007. During his tenure, the bank experienced the first run on a British bank in 130 years. He subsequently resigned from the position, and the bank was bailed out by the UK government, leading to its nationalisation.