KU’s Ruby McGregor-Smith named ‘woman of power’ by BBC

A Kingston graduate has been named one of the UK’s most powerful women by Radio 4.

Hollie Wilson

Ruby McGregor-Smith was selected in the Woman’s Hour Power list among 100 of the most extraordinary women in the United Kingdom for outstanding achievements in business.

“I’m delighted for my industry; outsourcers are passionate about providing people of all backgrounds with the opportunities to succeed, “said Ms McGregor-Smith.

She is the first Asian woman to be appointed as chief executive officer of the strategic outsourcing company MITIE Group PLC.

Businesswoman of the Year

Since joining MITIE in 2002, Ms McGregor-Smith has seen a £1.5 billion growth in turnover, which has led to numerous other awards.

In 2007, she was honoured as the First Woman of Business Services by the CBI, which is the UK’s top business lobbying organisation.

Then in 2008, she won the Businesswoman of the Year award at the UK based Asian Women of Achievement Awards.

To add to her list of achievements, Ms McGregor-Smith was awarded a CBE earlier this year. 

“Second-to-none”

The Kingston graduate said: “It is an honour to have been listed in the inaugural Woman’s Hour Power List and to be included among such an esteemed group of women.”

After graduating with an economics BA degree from Kingston in 1985, Ms McGregor-Smith became a chartered accountant, receiving an Honorary Doctorate in 2011.

The new ‘power woman’ described the education she received at Kingston as “second-to-none” and said that the training helped her to prepare for what was to follow and further her career as a businesswoman.

“I have very special memories of my time at Kingston, particularly of the close friends I made while I was at university and the experiences we shared throughout that time,” said the economics graduate.

BBC Radio 4’s list includes a number of fields from politics, business and charities to broadcasting, stage and the arts.

They also named The Queen, Stella McCartney, Joanne Lumley, Theresa May, Clare Balding, Brenda Hale  and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson among others in the Woman’s Hour List 2013.