A graduate in politics, philosophy and history, Gerard worked initially in banking. He moved on from there into financial publishing ultimately working for "The Economist Books", a division of the Economist Group, publishers of "The Economist". His lifelong interest in the legal system and specifically those areas of the law which impact upon ordinary people led him to take up full time legal studies. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Law and the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice with Commendation.
As part of the latter, Gerard opted to take Immigration Law as one his subjects leading to his developing an interest in the principles and practice of Immigration Law in the United Kingdom. He joined UK Immigration services in early 2013 and has since worked in various areas of the law. He specialises in application for entry clearance, in-country applications for further leave to remain, Appendix EU applications, and Sponsorship Licence applications. Gerard is registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA).