Sheila Forbes
Encyclopedia
Sheila Forbes, CBE
(born in Dorset
on 31 December 1946), is a British educator, consultant and manager. She became Principal of St Hilda%27s College%2C Oxford in August 2007.
Forbes grew up in Wargrave near Henley, attended St Paul's Girls' School
in London and received her B.A. in History from St Hilda%27s College%2C Oxford in 1969. She has studied at the London School of Economics
and at Bath University
. She spent the first 25 years of her career managing organizational change as a human resources professional in the private sector, joining Philips Electronics in 1970 and becoming Personnel Director of Unigate
plc in 1980. In 1988 she became an Executive Director at Storehouse
and finished her corporate career at Reed Elsevier
, where she was Human Resources Director from 1992 to 1996. Since leaving Reed Elsevier she has been a consultant and non-executive director for several large companies. From 1994 to 2000 she was a non-executive director for Lloyds TSB
and is currently a non-executive director for OCS Group Ltd and Tribal Group plc.
She has also held a number of government, private, and public appointments, including Civil Service Commissioner, Chair of the Board of Governors of Thames Valley University
, Chair of the Board of the Institute of Employment Studies and board member of the British Library
and the Crafts Council
.
In 2002 she was awarded the CBE
for services to women in the workforce
.
She has one brother, Duncan Forbes, an accountant in Hampshire and 8 years her junior. Her father, Alexander 'Sandy' Forbes, was a denist in Slough.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
on 31 December 1946), is a British educator, consultant and manager. She became Principal of St Hilda%27s College%2C Oxford in August 2007.
Forbes grew up in Wargrave near Henley, attended St Paul's Girls' School
St Paul's Girls' School
St Paul's Girls' School is a senior independent school, located in Brook Green, Hammersmith, in West London, England.-History:In 1904 a new day school for girls was established by the trustees of the Dean Colet Foundation , which had run St Paul's School for boys since the sixteenth century...
in London and received her B.A. in History from St Hilda%27s College%2C Oxford in 1969. She has studied at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and at Bath University
University of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
. She spent the first 25 years of her career managing organizational change as a human resources professional in the private sector, joining Philips Electronics in 1970 and becoming Personnel Director of Unigate
Unigate
Uniq plc is a British food manufacturer. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
plc in 1980. In 1988 she became an Executive Director at Storehouse
Storehouse plc
Storehouse plc was a large UK retail business formed by Terence Conran through the merger of various high street chains. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index before it was renamed Mothercare in 2000....
and finished her corporate career at Reed Elsevier
Reed Elsevier
Reed Elsevier is a publisher and information provider operating in the science, medical, legal, risk and business sectors. It is listed on several of the world's major stock exchanges. It is a FTSE 100 and FT500 Global company...
, where she was Human Resources Director from 1992 to 1996. Since leaving Reed Elsevier she has been a consultant and non-executive director for several large companies. From 1994 to 2000 she was a non-executive director for Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
and is currently a non-executive director for OCS Group Ltd and Tribal Group plc.
She has also held a number of government, private, and public appointments, including Civil Service Commissioner, Chair of the Board of Governors of Thames Valley University
Thames Valley University
The University of West London is a public university based in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in Ealing and Brentford, London, and Reading, Berkshire....
, Chair of the Board of the Institute of Employment Studies and board member of the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
and the Crafts Council
Crafts Council
The Crafts Council was established in the United Kingdom in 1971 as the national agency for crafts and was granted a Royal Charter in 1982. The Crafts Council’s vision is to position the UK as the global centre for the making, seeing and collecting of contemporary craft...
.
In 2002 she was awarded the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to women in the workforce
Women in the workforce
Until modern industrialized times, legal and cultural practices, combined with the inertia of longstanding religious and educational traditions, had restricted women's entry and participation in the workforce. Economic dependency upon men, and consequently the poor socio-economic status of women...
.
She has one brother, Duncan Forbes, an accountant in Hampshire and 8 years her junior. Her father, Alexander 'Sandy' Forbes, was a denist in Slough.