The Women of the Future network, founded by Pinky Lilani CBE DL, celebrated its tenth anniversary by naming BBC Trust Chair Rona Fairhead CBE DL as its ‘Woman of the Year’ 2015. Ms Fairhead was presented with a trophy by Caroline Williams, Associate Director for Open Programmes at the University of Oxford Said Business School, at a networking event hosted by J P Morgan at its Canary Wharf on Wednesday 11th November 2015. The event marked the annual reception of the Women of the Future Network with over 100 guests. Speaking about her appointment as Chair of the BBC Trust, Rona said “”I can’t think of many more important organisations to work for than the BBC. It remains one of the great British institutions, respected around the world and much loved at home. It is a huge privilege to be able to represent the interests of audiences and to help ensure the BBC maintains its reputation for quality and innovation, its editorial independence, and its critical role in supporting the UK creative sector as a whole.”
About Rona Fairhead
Rona was Chairman and CEO of the Financial Times Group from 2006 – 2013, having previously been Group Finance Director of its parent company, Pearson plc. Prior to joining Pearson, Rona held a variety of senior positions in financial and global businesses including ICI plc, where she served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Group Financial Control, and at Bombardier Inc, where she was General Manager of UK Aerospace Services. She is currently on the Board of HSBC Holdings plc and PepsiCo Inc and is Non-Executive Chairman of HSBC Northern America Holdings Inc.
Rona has an MA in Law from St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is married with three children and lives in London.
In 2012 Rona was awarded a CBE for services to industry.
About The Women of the Future Network
The Women of the Future Network is an exclusive network of high-achieving and high-potential UK businesswomen. It enables this remarkable community to come together regularly, share experiences, inspire one another and build business relationships. The network hosts an annual Summit as a forum for future women leaders; it runs an Ambassadors programme that connects award-winning women with sixth-formers to provide students with mentors and role models, thus strengthening the pipeline of talent among Britain’s younger women and it hosts the Women of the Future Awards celebrating high achieving women aged 35 and under, who are inspirational in their professions.
For further information visit http://womenofthefuture.co.uk/