Louise Botting

Elizabeth Louise Botting CBE (born 19 September 1939) is a British company director and former broadcaster. She was presenter of BBC Radio 4's Money Box programme between 1977 and 1992. After her broadcasting career, she became one of the first female directors of a FTSE-100 company, through her appointment to the board of CGNU (formerly General Accident, now Aviva). She has also held non-executive directorships of other companies such as Trinity Mirror, London Weekend Television and Camelot Group.

In 1974, she founded the private wealth management firm Douglas Deakin Young, serving as its managing director and then chairman until the firm was sold to Duncan Lawrie in 2005. Over the years, she has had an extensive portfolio of business interests.

Early life and professional career

Botting was born into a middle-class family, attending the local grammar school, Sutton Coldfield High School for Girls (now Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls) and went on to the London School of Economics.

After her graduation in 1961 she joined the British merchant bank Kleinwort Benson as one of their first female analysts. Her marriage to the writer and explorer Douglas Botting led to a career break as she gave birth to her two daughters, Kate and Anna Botting (now a newsreader with Sky News). Her career in journalism started in 1970 when she started writing for the Daily Mail. She started broadcasting with British Forces Broadcasting Service in 1971 and continued to do this until 1981.

In 1974, she established the private wealth management firm Douglas Deakin Young, with the businessman George Douglas and James Deakin, a medical doctor. Her initial role was managing director, until her succession by Alan Warner in 1982, when she became chairman. She remained in this role until the firm was sold to Duncan Lawrie in 2005.

BBC Radio 4's Money Box

In 1977, she was asked to be the founding presenter of BBC Radio 4's Money Box. The aim of the programme was to make sensible personal financial advice available to ordinary people. The still ongoing programme covers a broad range of investment and tax issues, as well as covering major changes in social security. The popularity of the programme increased, attracting up to three million listeners each week. The political influence of the programme was highlighted by the fact that, at times, the Prime Minister's office often asked to know the proposed content in advance.

By 1992, Botting wished to pursue other business interests and was asked to join the board of London Weekend Television. This appointment was unpalatable to the BBC and Botting decided to resign from the programme. She was succeeded by Alison Mitchell.

After BBC Radio 4's Money Box

Botting has pursued many other business interests. In addition to Douglas Deakin Young and London Weekend Television, she served as non-executive director of CGNU (formerly General Accident, now Aviva) and Trinity Mirror. She still remains a director of national lottery operator Camelot Group.

She also acted as a member of the Top Salaries Review Body between 1987 and 1994, and was rewarded by Prime Minister John Major for her work and for services to journalism with a CBE.

Her interests have also extended to local radio, with ownership of a number of different stakes. In 1995 she chaired the consortium who were awarded the new local radio licence for Stratford-upon-Avon, launching as The Bear in 1996.

She also acted as professional pension trustee to Channel Four, Blackwell Publishing, W H Smith and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. After the sale of Douglas Deakin Young in 2005 to Duncan Lawrie, she stepped down as chairman and now acts as a Consultant.

She is a patron of APT Action on Poverty (Registered Charity No. 290836).

Personal life

After her divorce from writer and explorer Douglas Botting, she married Leslie Carpenter who at the time was chief executive officer of the FTSE-100 firm Reed International (now Reed Elsevier). They live in the Cotswolds.

Her daughter Anna Botting also pursued a career in journalism and is now a newsreader with Sky News, and her other daughter Kate is a documentary maker. Her brother John Young CBE is former chief executive officer of the Securities & Futures Authority and the Securities & Investment Board (both now part of the UK financial services regulator, the Financial Services Authority).

Publications

• Making the most of your money (1984, 1985), with Vincent Duggleby

See also

• BBC Radio 4 Money Box
• Anna Botting, journalist

External links

• BBC Radio 4 Money Box website
• BBC Radio 4 Money Box 25th Anniversary Programme
• Article in Observer, March 2002
• Profile on Douglas Deakin Young website
• Profile on APT website
• Profile on radio-now.co.uk
• Profile of Money Box on TV Cream