Tributes ahve been paid to Dame Helen Alexander, the first female president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), who has died aged 60.
Dame Helen, a successful businesswoman and former chief executive of The Economist Group, died on Saturday.
She had also worked on the boards of British Gas' parent company Centrica, BT and Rolls-Royce during a distinguished career.
Dame Helen, who was married with three children, had been battling cancer for several years.
She was seen as a figurehead for increased representation of women in business. Alongside Sir Philip Hampton, she led the independent Hampton Alexander Review, which looked at how to get more women into senior business roles.
Paul Drechsler, the president of the CBI, said Dame Helen was a “brilliant leader” and “determined in making the case for diversity” during her time as head of the CBI between 2009 and 2011.
He said: “More than that, people will remember Helen for being a great listener with a thoughtful sense of humour. She will be greatly missed by me and by everyone who knew her, both in the UK and beyond.
“My thoughts and the thoughts of those past and present at the CBI will be with her family at this very sad time.”
The Economist described her as “self-effacing but a world-class networker”, and said that business had “no better ambassador”.
“Her success owed much to a leadership style that lacked fireworks and did not seek fame, but deserved more recognition, for both its humanity and effectiveness,” the newspaper said in an article on its website.
“Helen relied on a quiet wisdom: listening not lecturing. No name was ever forgotten, no thoughtful personal gesture was too small.”
Dame Helen, who was married with three children, had been fighting cancer for several years.
Born in 1957, Dame Helen started her career in publishing at Faber & Faber but went on to work at the Economist Group in 1985.
There, she worked her way up from her role as a marketing manager to become managing director of the Economist Intelligence Unit from 1993 until 1997, when she took over as the Group's chief executive.
The Economist saw circulation surge nearly 50% and operating profits rise by a whopping 75% under Dame Helen, who served in the role until 2008.
By 2004, she had been awarded a CBE for services to publishing, and would go on to gain a DBE for services to business in 2011.
Before launching her business career, Dame Helen gained an MA at Oxford and an MBA in INSEAD, setting her up for a professional life that saw her leave a lasting mark on the UK's business community.
Additional reporting by the Press Asociation
