Ruth Henderson

Who is Ruth Henderson?

Ruth Henderson was the UK's first female Chief Executive Officer of a publicly quoted company.

History

– 1980's: Product Director, Alexon Group

– 1991 : Henderson becomes the UK's first female CEO of a public company

– 1992 : Henderson leaves Alexon Group after profits fall

– 1993 : Joins Baird as Managing Director

– 2001 : Becomes CEO of Baird

Ruth Henderson was Product Director of Alexon Group, reporting to CEO Lawrence Snyder, during the Group's most profitable period

However, Ms Henderson is of note not for that position, but for her role as CEO. When Alexon Group demerged. Henderson was at that time "the [first] and only woman chief executive of any significant British quoted company".

Later sidelined to some extent in February 1992, when Peter Ridsdale was promoted to run the operations while she concentrated upon the buying, she left the group later in the year, when profits from the demerged Group fell from £11.3M in 1992 to a loss of £0.9M in 1993.

At that time the CEO role appeared a step too far for Henderson, with many in the City calling for Lawrence Snyder to step back into the CEO role. However John Osborn, a former Sears executive renowned for slashing costs at British Shoe Corporation, was to replace Henderson as CEO.