Suzanne Heywood

Suzanne Cook was born on 25 February 1969 in Southampton, England to Gordon Cook and Mary Cook (née Brindley).[1] From 1976 to 1986, she sailed around the world with her family in a schooner called Wavewalker.[1][2] In 1977, while recreating Captain Cook's third voyage, the ship was almost destroyed in a storm between Africa and Australia.[2][3] She was below deck and received a serious head injury, but the rest of her family and crew received only minor injuries; her father had been the only one on deck and was thrown overboard but was saved by his lifeline.[3] She undertook her secondary education through the Queensland Correspondence School, completing both the Junior Certificate and the Senior Certificate.[4]

Having returned to dry land, she matriculated into Somerville College, Oxford in 1987 to study zoology.[4] Her college tutor was Marian Dawkins.[4] She graduated from Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1990.[1] She then moved to the University of Cambridge, where she was a member of King's College, Cambridge, to undertake postgraduate studies.[1][5] She completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1993: her thesis was titled "Filial imprinting in chicks: processes and stimulus representations".[6]

In 1993, Heywood joined Her Majesty's Treasury as a fast stream trainee.[1][4] In 1995, after two years of training, she was appointed private secretary to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.[1] The Financial Secretary is responsible for direct taxation, and she would have also provided assistance to the Chancellor of the Exchequer when required.[2] From 1996 to 1997 she was a Grade 7 civil servant.[1]

In 1997, Heywood left the civil service and moved into the private sector, joining McKinsey & Company as an associate.[5] She became a partner in 2007.[1] She was made director (senior partner) in 2013 when she was appointed Global Head of the Organisation Design Service Line.[1][2] She left McKinsey & Company in 2016 to join the Exor Group as managing director.[5] She has additionally been chair of CNH Industrial since July 2018. [2] Additionally, she has served as interim CEO of CNH Industrial since March 2020, following the resignation of Hubertus Mühlhäuser. She is the Chairman of the Royal Opera House. [7]

In 1997, the then Suzanne Cook married Jeremy Heywood.[1] Jeremy was a senior civil servant, who was Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service until shortly before his death in 2018.[8][9] Together they had three children, including twins.[1]

• Heidari-Robinson, Stephen; Heywood, Suzanne (2016). ReOrg: How to Get It Right. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. ISBN 978-1633692237.