Suzanne Elizabeth Heywood, Lady Heywood of Whitehall is a British executive and former civil servant. She has been managing director of the Exor Group since 2016 and chair of CNH Industrial since 2018. Having sailed around the world with her family as a child, she studied at Somerville College, Oxford and King's College, Cambridge. Her early career was spent as a civil servant in HM Treasury. She then joined McKinsey & Company, where she rose to become a senior partner before leaving for Exor in 2016.
Early life and education
Suzanne Cook was born on 25 February 1969 in Southampton, England to Gordon Cook and Mary Cook. From 1976 to 1986, she sailed around the world with her family in a schooner called Wavewalker. In 1977, while recreating Captain Cook's third voyage, the ship was almost destroyed in a storm between Africa and Australia. 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. She undertook her secondary education through the Queensland Correspondence School, completing both the Junior Certificate and the Senior Certificate. Having returned to dry land, she matriculated into Somerville College, Oxford in 1987 to study zoology. Her college tutor was Marian Dawkins. She graduated from Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990. She then moved to the University of Cambridge, where she was a member of King's College, Cambridge, to undertake postgraduate studies. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1993: her thesis was titled "Filial imprinting in chicks: processes and stimulus representations".
Career
In 1993, Heywood joined Her Majesty's Treasury as a fast stream trainee. In 1995, after two years of training, she was appointed private secretary to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. The Financial Secretary is responsible for direct taxation, and she would have also provided assistance to the Chancellor of the Exchequer when required. From 1996 to 1997 she was a Grade 7 civil servant. In 1997, Heywood left the civil service and moved into the private sector, joining McKinsey & Company as an associate. She became a partner in 2007. She was made director in 2013 when she was appointed Global Head of the Organisation Design Service Line. She left McKinsey & Company in 2016 to join the Exor Group as managing director. She has additionally been chair of CNH Industrial since July 2018. 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.
