No wonder Furse was smiling, though. She has just shot into the top 10 of Britain's Most Powerful Women, according to the magazine Management Today. Furse was a new entry at number six, having scored a 'blow against gender stereotyping' and finding a senior position that was 'previously marked Men Only'.

The survey found that 'rather than women making work more feminine, work looks to have made women more masculine', although we are pleased to report that Furse is showing no signs of turning into her predecessor, Gavin Casey.