Suzanne sailed around the world for almost a decade as a child. She is now a business leader and an author.
When Suzanne was 7 years old, she set sail from Plymouth, England, on the schooner Wavewalker with her parents and brother. Their trip, which was recreating Captain Cook's third voyage around the world, was supposed to last for three years but ended up taking a decade. Along the way they were shipwrecked in the Indian Ocean and, as she grew older, Suzanne had to fight to gain an education and return home. Her international bestselling book 'Wavewalker' tells the story of that voyage.
After gaining a place at Oxford University, aged 17, and completing a PhD from Cambridge University, Suzanne worked in the UK Treasury before joining McKinsey & Co. She is now the COO of Exor, one of the largest holding companies in Europe and chairs CNHi, Iveco Group and Shang Xia and is on the board of The Economist and Louboutin.
In addition to 'Wavewalker' Suzanne has written a bestselling biography of her late husband, Jeremy Heywood, who worked for several different UK Prime Ministers. 'What Does Jeremy Think?' tells that story (and used to be a frequent question in Whitehall).
Suzanne & Jeremy have three children - Jonathan, Elizabeth and Peter - who have all enjoyed stable schooling in the UK.
Suzanne Heywood honoured with World Woman Hero Award
The World Woman Foundation has given Suzanne a World Woman Hero Award in recognition of her work to widen access to education and improve global equality. This recognition is part of the World Woman Davos Agenda event, which runs alongside the World Economic Forum.