| THE
CORPORATE WIFE - ADVANTAGE OR ACCESSORY? |
31
January 2000
|
Are YOU Dating a Narcissist? Find Out
Here?
A man in possession of a big job is still expected to bring
out the wife, according to style writer and self-confessed
corporate wife, Helen Kirwan-Taylor in February's Management
Today (published 31 January 2000). "The corporate wife
may be a chairman married to a chairman but regardless of
her achievements, if her husband has as many titles as she
has, she is still a corporate wife."
In a revealing look at 'the private life of the corporate
wife', Kirwan-Taylor talks to the women who are married
to men with 'serious earning potential'and exposes
a world where sacrifice and compromise are as much a part
of the deal, as black-tie dinners, shooting weekends and
fat pay packages.
Aliai Forte, married to Rocco Forte, chairman and chief
executive of RF Hotels: "I could set up my own business,
but what's the point? - it would pay for the flowers."
Jane Howard, co-owner of Republic, a strategic issues public
relations company is married to Andrew Fraser, chief executive
of Invest in Britain: "We come together for Buckingham
Palace. I couldn't do it. I have a business to run
... Is it a treat for the wife to drag a frock on the
train at 7.15 in the morning and change later in the loo?"
Jane Owen, a former marketing executive whose husband is
Steven Owen - finance director of Brixton Estates: "He
doesn't have to worry about paying the bills or whether
the car is going to show up to go the opera... Forty
years ago, running a house smoothly was not something women
were ashamed of. There is nothing wrong with being a partner
and doing it well."
Jill Ritblat, a former barrister and wife of John Ritblat
- the chairman and chief executive of British Land Company:
"We do spend endless evenings eating huge dinners late
at night, talking to technical advisers. I'm begging
to go home but I like to support him."
Sir Bob Reid, deputy governor of the Bank of Scotland is
married to Lady Joan Reid: "I am certainly suspicious
of a man on his third wife. He either has a selection problem
or a retention problem."
Isabelle Hotimsky, a head-hunter who just started her own
firm, MW Partners, is married to Marc Hotimsky - the joint
head of fixed income and derivatives at CSFB: "When
we figure out that there is a dual career, and the job in
question involves a change of location, forget it."
Penny Govett, an art consultant who was married to William
Govett, chairman of investment trust management group John
Govett &Co: "We spent our time getting our hair
done and making sure we had the right clothes. We spent
hours arranging flowers. Though my instincts were bohemian
I tried very hard to be what I thought a chairman would
want his wife to be."
"Corporate wives fall into two camps - those who
work and those who don't," says Kirwan-Taylor.
"What is particularly interesting in today's post-feminist
climate is there seem to be as many young women playing
corporate hostess as older ones. The only tangible difference
is that when a woman today says she is not involved in her
husband's business, it means the exact opposite. Never
underestimate the corporate wife: you may end up working
for her yet."
Notes to Editors:
'The private life of the corporate wife', written by
Helen Kirwan-Taylor appears in the February edition of Management
Today (published 31 January 2000).
Management Today is Britain's leading business magazine.
It is available from leading newsagents (cover price £3.50)
or by subscription tel: .
For more information please contact:
Rob Cope or Nicola Dodd:
Tel: Fax:
Email: memuna,
nicola
Colman Getty PR
January 2000
