Bill English

Sir Simon William English, born on December 30, 1961, is a former National Party politician from New Zealand. He served as the country's 39th Prime Minister from 2016 to 2017, following his role as the 17th Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2008 to 2016 under John Key's Fifth National Government. Prior to his political career, English worked as a farmer and public servant. He entered politics as the National Party's candidate for the Wallace electorate. In 1996, he joined the Cabinet and became the Minister of Finance in 1999, albeit for a short period. English took over as the leader of the National Party in 2001, following Jenny Shipley, but faced defeat in the 2002 general election. He was succeeded by Don Brash in 2003.