George Fisher was born near Chesterfield in 1809. His early experience was gained in America on the works of the Erie Canal. On returning to the United Kingdom, he obtained the post of Clerk of the Works in the erection of Lord Lisburne's mansion at Crosswood in Cardiganshire, before obtaining employment on the harbour works at Aberystwith. About the year 1841 he joined the staff of George Bush, Resident Engineer on the construction of the TVR, rising to the post of Superintendent of the railway after the completion of the works and the premature death of George Bush in late 1841.

In September 1843 he left the company, being presented, at a ceremony on 29 September 1843, with a silver snuff box by workmen of the TVR to commemorate the occasion] he was replaced as Superintendent by Edward Highton. However, this was to prove but a brief sojourn, as on 5 November 1844, in what must have been an early example of privatisation, George Fisher's tender for working the railway was accepted by the TVR Board. This arrangement proved short-lived, however, as at the end of 1845 Highton resigned his post to take up an appointment on the London & Birmingham Railway. On 23 December 1845 George Fisher was appointed Superintendent of the TVR, taking up his post on 1 January 1846. There appears to have been some doubt as to the status of this position relative to that of the Locomotive Superintendent Alexander Colville and the Secretary Frederick Marwood, as evinced by a series of acrimonious but comical reports to the Board in July 1846, in which each complained to the Directors of the activities and pretensions of the other. Needless to say, this little spat was resolved by the Board to the advantage of our hero. Alexander Colville left the company shortly afterwards.

On 7 January 1863 George Fisher's authority was further enhanced by his appointment as "Engineer and General Superintendent" of the TVR. He also acted, at this time, as Engineer to a number of TVR satellites, such as the Llantrissant & Taff Vale Junction Railway and the Dare Valley Railway (incidentally, he did not perform this role in the construction of the Aberdare Railway, which had been laid out by E Scott Barber with one David Jones as Resident Engineer). Under Fisher's management substantial improvements were made to all departments of the TVR, especially in relation to engineering and operating practices. He is attributed, in conjunction with Sir John Brown, as being instrumental in the introduction of the steel conical spring buffer for railway wagons.

By 1867 it was clearly felt that this degree of responsibility was too much for one man, and in January of that year George Fisher relinquished the title of General Superintendent in favour of the solitary "Engineer". His deputy Edwin Page was appointed Traffic Manager and the post of General Superintendent abolished. George Fisher was elected a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers on 4 may 1869.

This management structure was not to last, however, for on 21 December 1873 Edwin Page died suddenly. His demise prompted a radical reorganisation of the top management at the TVR. On 8 January 1874 George Fisher was elevated to the rank of General Manager with the clear authority over the two subordinate officers appointed at the same time - his son H 0 Fisher as Superintendent of Way and Works and James Hurman as Traffic Superintendent. These two were to leave the company in the aftermath of the shareholders revolt in 1891. the other technical officer was T H Riches, the Locomotive Superintendent who had been appointed on 2 October 1873.

On 13 September 1883, following the death of William Done Bushell, George Fisher was appointed Resident Director of the TVR, and the post of General Manager was abolished. Bushell, a Bristol Director, had been appointed Resident Director in 1847 to reside in Cardiff to keep a close eye on the affairs of the company. Fisher subsequently acquired the title of Deputy Chairman of the Company.