Хизер Раббатс: Өмір жолы мен жетістіктері

Dame Heather Victoria Rabbatts, DBE (born 6 December 1955) is a Jamaican born British solicitor, businesswoman, and broadcaster, who rose to prominence as Chief executive of the London Borough of Lambeth, the youngest council chief in the UK. She served as a Football Association director from 2011 to 2017 and was the first ethnic minority person to do so. She was also the only woman on its board.

Rabbatts was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1955 and moved to England, when she was three years old. She left school with five O levels and attended evening classes to study for A levels. She attended the London School of Economics and became a barrister in 1981.

From 1987, she worked in local government, becoming deputy chief executive of Hammersmith and Fulham in 1989. She became chief executive of Merton before being appointed to the post of chief executive of Lambeth in 1995. There were significant improvements in housing, education, and council tax collection. She made her name as the youngest council chief in the country. On leaving Lambeth, in March 2000, Rabbatts became Chief executive of iMPOWER, a public sector consultancy, which she both founded and was co chair.

Rabbatts was a Governor of the BBC from 1999 to 2001, but resigned upon her appointment to Channel 4 where she was managing director of Channel 4's education programmes and business, 4Learning. She is a Governor at the London School of Economics, an Associate of The King's Fund and on the board of directors at the British Council.

On 24 July 2011, she was the guest on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4; her chosen favourite song, book, and luxury item were Corinne Bailey Rae's version of "Que Sera, Sera", Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and a solar powered digital photo album, respectively. In April 2014, she was a judge in the BBC Woman's Hour power list 2014.

Rabbatts was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to football and equality. In November 2016, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.