Born: 1949

Educated: University of Bristol (Bachelor of Laws). A chartered accountant . An elected member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales from 1987 to 2002 and its first woman President in 1999/2000. Awarded a DBE in 1996 and made a life peer in 2000.

A non-executive director of Carpetright plc (2001 - current), Severn Trust plc (2008 - current) and of the non-profit English National Opera (2000 - current). Opposition Treasury spokesman in the House of Lords.

Past appointments include: non-executive director of Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (2004-2008), non-executive director of the Court of the Bank of England (1994 - 2001 including senior non-executive 1998 - 2001); Hanson PLC (2001-2007), S Three  PLC  (2001 -  7 ), John Laing plc (2002 - 4); member of  Advisory Council of the Institute of Business Ethics (1998 - 2003); Commissioner of the Public Works Loan Board (1995 - 2001); Governor of the London Business School (1998 - 2001) and Eastbourne College (2000 -  5) ; Board member of  Social Market Foundation (2002 - 4); non-executive member of the Inland Revenue's Management Board (1992 - 99); non-executive member of the NHS Policy Board (1992 - 95), member of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Private Finance Panel (1993 - 97) and member of the government's Public Services Productivity Panel (1998 - 2000). She joined Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG) in 1970 as an articled clerk and qualified as a Chartered Accountant (winning several prizes) in 1973. She was a partner in KPMG from 1983 to 2000.

Appointed a Reuters Trustee in 1998.