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.