After Dinner Speakers: Stella Rimmington, Tanya Beckett, The Reduced Shakespeare Company

Dame Stella Rimington is the first female head of the secret service, she was also the first to be officially named and photographed during her tenure in charge of Britain's spy service. Dame Stella, was director-general of the internal security service from 1992 to 1996. Her decision to publish memoirs about her time in charge of MI5 caused concern in parliament, coming at the same time as the return of ex-agent David Shayler to face trial on charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act. In her post-MI5 life, Dame Stella has accepted non-executive directorships at British Gas, M & S and at a headhunting company. She is complimented by the fact that the most recent James Bond films have seen the fictitious supercool spy's boss portrayed by a female ‘M’, with Dame Judi Dench filling that role.