Lynne Franks
Encyclopedia
Lynne Franks founded one of the UK’s best-known public relations
consultancies in the early 1970s and is currently an advocate, communications strategist
, writer and spokeswoman on women’s issues
, sustainability
and consumer lifestyles
.
in 1948. The daughter of a Jewish butcher, Franks attended Minchenden Grammar School
in Southgate, leaving at the age of 16. She completed a shorthand typing course at Pitman's
College and was a regular dancer on the popular music TV programme Ready Steady Go!
Franks initially worked in various secretarial jobs before taking up a journalistic role at Petticoat, working under Eve Pollard
and alongside Janet Street-Porter
. Whilst assigned to write for and edit the Freemans
in-house publications, she met Paul Howie, an Australian fashion buyer and designer, whom she subsequently married.
, Franks started her own PR agency at the age of 21, with her first clients including Hamnett's own fashion business, Tuttabankem, and Wendy Dagworthy. Working initially from her own kitchen table, Franks's success soon had the new agency moving into increasing larger premises in the Covent Garden
area of London.
In the summer of 1974, she supported her husband in setting up Howie, a menswear store on Fulham Road
. Although the store was initially successful, its location, right next to the football ground of Chelsea F.C.
made it difficult to attract the more fashion-conscious shoppers on most Saturday afternoons. In 1976, the business, now renamed Mrs Howie, was moved to the Covent Garden area of London, becoming one of the first fashion stores and designer studios in that area. With the shop featuring designs from many of London's new and established fashion designers, and with Franks herself in the perfect position to secure plenty of favourable media and press coverage, the boutique was a successful part of London's booming fashion industry.
In 1979, Franks's PR agency was commissioned by the Murjani Corporation to launch Gloria Vanderbilt
jeans, one of the first designer jeans to be launched in the UK. Franks used this relationship in 1984 to help persuade Murjani to sponsor a large fashion tent outside the Commonwealth Institute
in Kensington, as a venue for British fashion designers to display their talents. This helped to turn the then fledgling London Fashion Week
into the centralised and prestigious event it remains to this day.
Over the next few years, Lynne Franks PR established itself as one of the leading fashion PR firms in the UK, working with many high street brands including Harvey Nichols
, Tommy Hilfiger
, Brylcreem
, Raleigh Bicycles
and Swatch
. Her agency also represented many of the biggest names in the fashion industry including Katharine Hamnett
, Jasper Conran
, and Jean-Paul Gaultier
; figures from the world of entertainment such as Annie Lennox
, Lenny Henry
and Ruby Wax
, and even worked briefly with the Labour Party
in 1986, helping to promote Neil Kinnock
ahead of the 1987 general election
.
Lynne Franks PR was also involved with a number of charities and NGOs
. In 1985, Franks helped to initiate Fashion Cares, a fundraising series of events which have since gone on to raise more than $10 million for HIV/Aids In the same year, she helped in the promotion of Live Aid
and worked with Bob Geldof
and Harvey Goldsmith
to create Fashion Aid which raised $300,000 in aid of victims of famine in Africa. The gala fashion show event held in November at the Royal Albert Hall
featured some of the world's best-known fashion designers including Armani and Yves Saint Laurent, with designs presented by top models including Grace Jones
, Michael Caine
, Freddie Mercury
and Boy George
.
Franks's agency worked with Amnesty International
, helping to promote their fund-raising Human Rights Now! world tour, and with John Elkington
to promote 'Green Consumer Week' in 1988. Franks herself attended the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp
in 1984.
By the end of the 1980s, Franks had built a reputation as a colourful and flamboyant personality, and was well known for her adventurous fashion sense, regularly embracing spiritual and new age trends and frequently associating with high-profile celebrities, designers and figures across the fashion and entertainment industries. The character Edina Monsoon
in the UK sitcom Absolutely Fabulous
(created by Jennifer Saunders
, a long-time friend and frequent associate of Franks) was intended to be a satirised version of Franks during this period. Franks pointed out: "Jennifer has said it's not me, and I accept it's a composite character. But I assume she took certain aspects. After all, how many Buddhist PRs are there with two children and a secretary and office like that?" Although Franks may have been initially upset at the parody, she quickly used the publicity to her advantage, renaming the Absolut Vodka
party she was organising, as the 'Absolut-ly Fabulous' party and having Jennifer Saunders as the guest of honour to turn on the Christmas tree lights.
, Britain's first radio station for women, with Franks herself hosting a twice-weekly interview show entitled 'Frankly Speaking'.
In order to boost awareness of the upcoming Fourth UN World Conference on Women, which Franks was to attend, she created 'What Women Want' - a two day festival of seminars, workshops and music at the Royal Festival Hall
in London. Held over the bank holiday weekend in August 1995, the event attracted almost 10,000 visitors, with The Big Issue
devoting an entire edition to the event and the surrounding issues. The highlight of the festival was a concert on the final night hosted by the comedian Jo Brand
, and featuring performances from Sinéad O'Connor
, The Pretenders
, Sarah Jane Morris
and Zap Mama
.
In 1997, Franks published her autobiography, Absolutely Now!: A Futurist's Journey to Her Inner Truth. Especially well-received in the US and making the Los Angeles Times
bestseller list, the book chronicles Franks' emotional and spiritual journey since leaving the world of PR, interspersing her spiritual experiences at locations such as the Findhorn Foundation
in Scotland, the Esalen Institute
in California
and the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
in Rajasthan
, India
, with her ideas on feminism
, environmental issues and ethical business practices
.
Following the book's publication, Franks moved to California, and formed 'GlobalFusion', a cause-related marketing agency, working to promote environmentally-friendly fashion and cosmetic brands and helping to launch The Big Issue
in Los Angeles
. She also worked with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation
on promoting micro-finance initiatives through their 'Knitting Together Nations' project, helping women refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina
and with Bibi Russell
on her 'Fashion for Development' program in Bangladesh
.
, sustainability
and social responsibility
in business. In 2000, Franks published The SEED Handbook: The Feminine Way to Create Business, a guidebook for female entrepreneurs, detailing a values-based approach to creating and running sustainable businesses. Franks launched the book at the Bloomingdales store in New York
, which devoted an entire window display to it, and it has since gone on to sell more than 50,000 copies in the UK and US alone.
Franks has since published two more books. In 2004, she published Grow: The Modern Woman's Handbook, a guidebook aimed at helping women to get in touch with their feminine power. This was followed in 2007 by Bloom: A Woman's Journal for Inspired Living, an accompaniment to a set of Affirmation Cards released previously.
In collaboration with Tribal Education, Franks developed the SEED Women into Enterprise Programme, a blended learning course for self employment. Aimed particularly at women from marginalised and disadvantaged communities around the UK, the programme has been delivered through local government agencies, training companies and charities - including Croydon Enterprise, A4e
and The Prince's Trust
- as well as to inmates at Eastwood Park
and Styal
prisons.
The SEED project has continued to grow with workshops and training events held around the UK, online resources and exclusive, week long retreats held regularly by Franks at her own home in Deià
, Majorca. Local SEED Circles have started up in many areas to provide members with opportunities to network with like-minded business owners in the community, whilst accredited SEED Coaches provide mentoring to new businesswomen starting out. In 2009, she launched the SEED Community Site, a social networking website to connect women entrepreneurs around the world.
, and advising on market positioning
strategies - particularly for female consumers. She was a member of the Advisory Board for McDonald's
in the UK, helping to initiate their Women's Leadership Development Programme, with other recent partnerships including Danone, Cisco
and Starbucks
.
She currently advises HSBC
on their UK and Pan-European campaigns to engage with businesswomen and female entrepreneurs, helping to put on networking events around the UK and in Europe. She has also worked closely with Regus
to create and develop the B.Hive network of women's business clubs, launching the flagship Covent Garden
location in September 2010, followed by further B.Hive centres in Bristol
and Manchester
in spring 2011.
, that campaigns to end the violence against women and girls around the world. In March 2009 she organised a 'Women of Influence Lunch' at the House of Lords
, to draw attention to the campaign. The lunch was hosted by Baroness Valerie Amos
and featured Sarah Brown as the guest speaker, with attendees including Glenys Kinnock
, Oona King
and Sandi Toksvig
.
In June 2009, she organised a breakfast at the House of Commons to host the Congolese Senator and activist, Eve Bazaiba. Attended by Eric Joyce MP
(chair of the all-party parliamentary group
for the Great Lakes Region of Africa
,) Baroness Trish Morris and Sam Roddick
amongst many others, the event promoted action plans such as fundraising and advocacy strategies to actively address the issues.
The following November, Franks organised 'The Great Congo Demonstration' at the Royal Albert Hall
on the 100th year anniversary of the then Archbishop of Canterbury's call for an end to the violence in the Congo. Supported by the current Archbishop
, and other religious leaders, politicians, activists and celebrities, and accompanied by group letters to the press, the demonstration called for an end to the systemic sexual violence
against women in the region. The event helped to boost the profile of the campaign, receiving significant press coverage and was mentioned favourably during a debate in the House of Lords
.
Woman's Hour
and Loose Women
, where she appeared along with Britt Ekland
. She was also a guest on Newsnight
in June 2010, discussing the expected cuts to public expenditure in the forthcoming UK budget
with reference to Thatcher's economic policies in the 1980s.
She has also made various other television appearances. In November 2007, Franks was a contestant on the 7th series
of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, and contributed to the third series of Grumpy Old Women
in the same year. She was a member of the 'Bizchicks' team of entrepreneurs who competed on the Eggheads quiz show in November 2008, alongside teammates including the former dragon
, Rachel Elnaugh
, Laura Tenison and Emma Harrison
, in order to raise money for The Nema Foundation, a charity running projects to relieve child poverty in Mozambique
.
In February 2009 she guested on the sixth series of the Channel 4
Programme, Come Dine with Me
, with fellow diners Michelle Gayle
, Chris Elisson
and Raef Bjayou
, and also appeared alongside guests including Ken Livingstone
, Carol Decker and Toby Young
on the BBC Two
show, The Supersizers Eat..., the following June.
Franks has made regular and varied public speaking engagements, including at Oxford University in 2007 for International Women's Day
, and at Glastonbury Festival
in the same year. She delivered the 23rd HSBC Bank
keynote lecture at Brunel University
in November 2008, was on the judging panel for several enterprise award bodies including the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards
and even performed a stand-up comedy
routine at ITV's
London Studios
for International Women's Day 2009. She also continues to write a monthly column for 'Natural Health Magazine'.
In July 2011, Franks was awarded an honorary doctorate
from Middlesex University
in recognition of her career achievements in business and the media.
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
consultancies in the early 1970s and is currently an advocate, communications strategist
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, writer and spokeswoman on women’s issues
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
, sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and consumer lifestyles
Customer engagement
Customer engagement refers to the engagement of customers with one another, with a company or a brand. The initiative for engagement can be either consumer- or company-led and the medium of engagement can be on or offline....
.
Early life
Franks was born and raised in North LondonNorth London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
in 1948. The daughter of a Jewish butcher, Franks attended Minchenden Grammar School
Minchenden Grammar School
Minchenden School was a mixed secondary school situated in Southgate, North London, established in 1919 with 90 pupils.-History:The school was established in 1919 in Tottenhall Road as a mixed secondary school. In 1924, it moved to Southgate House, where it remained until 1987, and was renamed...
in Southgate, leaving at the age of 16. She completed a shorthand typing course at Pitman's
Pitman Shorthand
Pitman shorthand is a system of shorthand for the English language developed by Englishman Sir Isaac Pitman , who first presented it in 1837. Like most systems of shorthand, it is a phonetic system; the symbols do not represent letters, but rather sounds, and words are, for the most part, written...
College and was a regular dancer on the popular music TV programme Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the UK's first rock/pop music TV programmes. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan was assisted by record producer/talent manager Vicki Wickham, who became the producer. It was broadcast from August 1963 until December 1966...
Franks initially worked in various secretarial jobs before taking up a journalistic role at Petticoat, working under Eve Pollard
Eve Pollard
Evelyn "Eve" Pollard, Lady Lloyd, OBE is an English author, journalist and a former editor of several tabloid newspapers.-Career:...
and alongside Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter is a British media personality, journalist and television presenter. She was editor for two years of The Independent on Sunday. She relinquished the job to become editor-at-large in 2002...
. Whilst assigned to write for and edit the Freemans
Freemans
Freemans is a British catalogue clothing retailer.Freemans was founded in 1904 with four staff, and acquired by Otto GmbH in 1999. In 2000 its administrative department was merged with Grattan plc, under the banner of Otto UK....
in-house publications, she met Paul Howie, an Australian fashion buyer and designer, whom she subsequently married.
Lynne Franks PR
Following a brief stint as a PR assistant, and at the encouragement of the fashion designer Katharine HamnettKatharine Hamnett
Katharine E. Hamnett CBE is an English fashion designer best known for her political t-shirts and her ethical business philosophy. She graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design....
, Franks started her own PR agency at the age of 21, with her first clients including Hamnett's own fashion business, Tuttabankem, and Wendy Dagworthy. Working initially from her own kitchen table, Franks's success soon had the new agency moving into increasing larger premises in the Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
area of London.
In the summer of 1974, she supported her husband in setting up Howie, a menswear store on Fulham Road
Fulham Road
Fulham Road is a street in London, England, that runs from the A219 road in right in the centre of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, through Chelsea to Brompton Road Knightsbridge and the A4 in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.Fulham Road runs parallel...
. Although the store was initially successful, its location, right next to the football ground of Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
made it difficult to attract the more fashion-conscious shoppers on most Saturday afternoons. In 1976, the business, now renamed Mrs Howie, was moved to the Covent Garden area of London, becoming one of the first fashion stores and designer studios in that area. With the shop featuring designs from many of London's new and established fashion designers, and with Franks herself in the perfect position to secure plenty of favourable media and press coverage, the boutique was a successful part of London's booming fashion industry.
In 1979, Franks's PR agency was commissioned by the Murjani Corporation to launch Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt is an American artist, author, actress, heiress, and socialite most noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans...
jeans, one of the first designer jeans to be launched in the UK. Franks used this relationship in 1984 to help persuade Murjani to sponsor a large fashion tent outside the Commonwealth Institute
Commonwealth Institute
The Commonwealth Institute was an educational charity connected with the Commonwealth of Nations, and the name of a building in West London formerly owned by the Institute...
in Kensington, as a venue for British fashion designers to display their talents. This helped to turn the then fledgling London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.-Organization:...
into the centralised and prestigious event it remains to this day.
Over the next few years, Lynne Franks PR established itself as one of the leading fashion PR firms in the UK, working with many high street brands including Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
, Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
, Brylcreem
Brylcreem
Brylcreem is a brand of hair styling products for men. The first Brylcreem product was a pomade created in 1928 by County Chemicals at the Chemico Works in Bradford Street, Birmingham, England. The pomade is an emulsion of water and mineral oil stabilised with beeswax.Beecham was the longtime...
, Raleigh Bicycles
Raleigh Bicycle Company
The Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
and Swatch
Swatch
Swatch is a brand name for a line of wrist watches from the Swatch Group, a Swiss conglomerate with vertical control of the production of Swiss watches and related products...
. Her agency also represented many of the biggest names in the fashion industry including Katharine Hamnett
Katharine Hamnett
Katharine E. Hamnett CBE is an English fashion designer best known for her political t-shirts and her ethical business philosophy. She graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design....
, Jasper Conran
Jasper Conran
Jasper Alexander Thirlby Conran OBE is an English fashion designer. He is the son of the designer Sir Terence Conran and the author Shirley Conran.-Education:He was educated at Port Regis School and Bryanston School in the 1970s...
, and Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
; figures from the world of entertainment such as Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
, Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
and Ruby Wax
Ruby Wax
Ruby Wax is a BAFTA nominated American comedian who made a career in the United Kingdom as part of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s.-Early life:...
, and even worked briefly with the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1986, helping to promote Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
ahead of the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
.
Lynne Franks PR was also involved with a number of charities and NGOs
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. In 1985, Franks helped to initiate Fashion Cares, a fundraising series of events which have since gone on to raise more than $10 million for HIV/Aids In the same year, she helped in the promotion of Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
and worked with Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
and Harvey Goldsmith
Harvey Goldsmith
Harvey Goldsmith CBE is a British performing arts promoter. He is best known as promoter of rock concerts, charity concerts, television broadcasts for the Prince's Trust and more recently the Teenage Cancer Trust shows at the Royal Albert Hall.During early 2007 he appeared on the Channel 4...
to create Fashion Aid which raised $300,000 in aid of victims of famine in Africa. The gala fashion show event held in November at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
featured some of the world's best-known fashion designers including Armani and Yves Saint Laurent, with designs presented by top models including Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
, Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
, Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
and Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
.
Franks's agency worked with Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, helping to promote their fund-raising Human Rights Now! world tour, and with John Elkington
John Elkington
John Elkington is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. He is currently the Founding Partner & Executive Chairman of , a future-focused business working at the intersection of the sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation movements...
to promote 'Green Consumer Week' in 1988. Franks herself attended the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp
Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp
Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp was a peace camp established to protest at nuclear weapons being sited at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire, England. The camp began in September 1981 after a Welsh group, Women for Life on Earth, arrived at Greenham to protest against the decision of the British...
in 1984.
By the end of the 1980s, Franks had built a reputation as a colourful and flamboyant personality, and was well known for her adventurous fashion sense, regularly embracing spiritual and new age trends and frequently associating with high-profile celebrities, designers and figures across the fashion and entertainment industries. The character Edina Monsoon
Edina Monsoon
Edina Monsoon is the main character in the BBC programme Absolutely Fabulous, played by Jennifer Saunders, who is also the creator of the show. The character is known for her extravagance and various attempts to follow new crazes and trends....
in the UK sitcom Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
(created by Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
, a long-time friend and frequent associate of Franks) was intended to be a satirised version of Franks during this period. Franks pointed out: "Jennifer has said it's not me, and I accept it's a composite character. But I assume she took certain aspects. After all, how many Buddhist PRs are there with two children and a secretary and office like that?" Although Franks may have been initially upset at the parody, she quickly used the publicity to her advantage, renaming the Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....
party she was organising, as the 'Absolut-ly Fabulous' party and having Jennifer Saunders as the guest of honour to turn on the Christmas tree lights.
Advocate for women's empowerment
In October 1993, Franks made headline news in the national press when she announced that she was stepping down as chairman of Lynne Franks PR and would concentrate on broadcasting and campaigning on Women's Empowerment and Sustainable living. In July 1995, Franks chaired a consortium including former Jazz FM director Katy Turner and TV executive Linda Agran, that launched Viva! 963Liberty Radio
Liberty Radio is a UK radio broadcaster and company based in London, England that, , broadcasts on satellite and the Internet, but not terrestrial radio or DAB. The company started as Viva 963, broadcasting on terrestrial radio, predominantly for women, and was later renamed...
, Britain's first radio station for women, with Franks herself hosting a twice-weekly interview show entitled 'Frankly Speaking'.
In order to boost awareness of the upcoming Fourth UN World Conference on Women, which Franks was to attend, she created 'What Women Want' - a two day festival of seminars, workshops and music at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in London. Held over the bank holiday weekend in August 1995, the event attracted almost 10,000 visitors, with The Big Issue
The Big Issue
The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991...
devoting an entire edition to the event and the surrounding issues. The highlight of the festival was a concert on the final night hosted by the comedian Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
, and featuring performances from Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
, Sarah Jane Morris
Sarah Jane Morris (singer)
Sarah Jane Morris , is a pop music, jazz, rock and R&B singer and songwriter.In 1982, Morris joined The Republic as lead singer. A London-based Afro-Caribbean-Latin band with leftish tendencies, they received enormous publicity from the music press including cover stories with NME and City Limits...
and Zap Mama
Zap Mama
Zap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
.
In 1997, Franks published her autobiography, Absolutely Now!: A Futurist's Journey to Her Inner Truth. Especially well-received in the US and making the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
bestseller list, the book chronicles Franks' emotional and spiritual journey since leaving the world of PR, interspersing her spiritual experiences at locations such as the Findhorn Foundation
Findhorn Foundation
The Findhorn Foundation is a Scottish charitable trust registered in 1972, formed by the spiritual community at the Findhorn Ecovillage, one of the largest intentional communities in Britain....
in Scotland, the Esalen Institute
Esalen Institute
Esalen Institute is a residential community and retreat in Big Sur, California, which focuses upon humanistic alternative education. Esalen is a nonprofit organization devoted to activites such as meditation, massage, Gestalt, yoga, psychology, ecology, and spirituality...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University or Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is a monastic, renunciate Millenarian new religious movement of Indian origin...
in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, with her ideas on feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, environmental issues and ethical business practices
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
.
Following the book's publication, Franks moved to California, and formed 'GlobalFusion', a cause-related marketing agency, working to promote environmentally-friendly fashion and cosmetic brands and helping to launch The Big Issue
The Big Issue
The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. She also worked with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
on promoting micro-finance initiatives through their 'Knitting Together Nations' project, helping women refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and with Bibi Russell
Bibi Russell
Bibi Russell is a fashion designer and former international model from Bangladesh. Born in Chittagong, Bangladesh, she studied in London College of Fashion, earning a graduate degree in 1975. In the next five years, she worked as a model for different magazines including Vogue, Cosmopolitan and...
on her 'Fashion for Development' program in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
SEED
Whilst in California, Franks developed the idea of SEED, an acronym for Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics, as a model for using principles of femininityFemininity
Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with girls and women. Though socially constructed, femininity is made up of both socially defined and biologically created factors...
, sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and social responsibility
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
in business. In 2000, Franks published The SEED Handbook: The Feminine Way to Create Business, a guidebook for female entrepreneurs, detailing a values-based approach to creating and running sustainable businesses. Franks launched the book at the Bloomingdales store in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, which devoted an entire window display to it, and it has since gone on to sell more than 50,000 copies in the UK and US alone.
Franks has since published two more books. In 2004, she published Grow: The Modern Woman's Handbook, a guidebook aimed at helping women to get in touch with their feminine power. This was followed in 2007 by Bloom: A Woman's Journal for Inspired Living, an accompaniment to a set of Affirmation Cards released previously.
In collaboration with Tribal Education, Franks developed the SEED Women into Enterprise Programme, a blended learning course for self employment. Aimed particularly at women from marginalised and disadvantaged communities around the UK, the programme has been delivered through local government agencies, training companies and charities - including Croydon Enterprise, A4e
A4e
A4E is a training company based in the United Kingdom. The company began in Sheffield in 1991 to provide redundant steelworkers with training so that they could find new jobs...
and The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales to help young people. They run a range of training programmes, provide mentoring support and offer financial grants to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people...
- as well as to inmates at Eastwood Park
Eastwood Park (HM Prison)
HM Prison Eastwood Park is a women's closed category prison, located in the village of Falfield in Gloucestershire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
and Styal
Styal (HM Prison)
HM Prison Styal is a Closed Category prison for female adults and young offenders, located in the village of Styal in Cheshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
prisons.
The SEED project has continued to grow with workshops and training events held around the UK, online resources and exclusive, week long retreats held regularly by Franks at her own home in Deià
Deià
Deià is a small coastal village on the northern ridge of the Spanish island of Majorca. It is located about ten miles north of Valldemossa, and it is known for its literary and musical residents...
, Majorca. Local SEED Circles have started up in many areas to provide members with opportunities to network with like-minded business owners in the community, whilst accredited SEED Coaches provide mentoring to new businesswomen starting out. In 2009, she launched the SEED Community Site, a social networking website to connect women entrepreneurs around the world.
Strategic advisor
As well as continuing to develop the SEED projects, Franks has worked as a communications consultant for a number of multinational corporations in recent years, working on their female employee development programmesProfessional development
Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
, and advising on market positioning
Positioning (marketing)
In marketing, positioning has come to mean the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization....
strategies - particularly for female consumers. She was a member of the Advisory Board for McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
in the UK, helping to initiate their Women's Leadership Development Programme, with other recent partnerships including Danone, Cisco
Cisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
and Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
.
She currently advises HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
on their UK and Pan-European campaigns to engage with businesswomen and female entrepreneurs, helping to put on networking events around the UK and in Europe. She has also worked closely with Regus
Regus
Regus plc is a multinational corporation that provides serviced office accommodation in business centres worldwide. As of March 2011, it operates 1,100 business centres in 85 countries. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index...
to create and develop the B.Hive network of women's business clubs, launching the flagship Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
location in September 2010, followed by further B.Hive centres in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in spring 2011.
V-Day campaign
Franks is currently the chair of V-Day UK, a charity created by Eve EnslerEve Ensler
Eve Ensler is an American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues.- Personal life :...
, that campaigns to end the violence against women and girls around the world. In March 2009 she organised a 'Women of Influence Lunch' at the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, to draw attention to the campaign. The lunch was hosted by Baroness Valerie Amos
Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos
Valerie Ann Amos, Baroness Amos, PC is the eighth and current UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Before her appointment to the UN, she had been British High Commissioner to Australia. She was made a Labour life peer in 1997 and served as Leader...
and featured Sarah Brown as the guest speaker, with attendees including Glenys Kinnock
Glenys Kinnock
Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock, Baroness Kinnock and Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead is a British politician....
, Oona King
Oona King
Oona Tamsyn King, Baroness King of Bow is a Baroness and Member of the House of Lords, and former Chief Diversity Officer of Channel 4. She previously had served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow from 1997 until 2005, when she was defeated by Respect candidate George...
and Sandi Toksvig
Sandi Toksvig
Sandra Brigitte “Sandi” Toksvig is a Danish comedian, author and presenter on British radio and television.-Career:...
.
In June 2009, she organised a breakfast at the House of Commons to host the Congolese Senator and activist, Eve Bazaiba. Attended by Eric Joyce MP
Eric Joyce
Eric Stuart Joyce is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Falkirk since 2005. Joyce served as a Private in the Black Watch before attending University and subsequently rejoining the army as a commissioned officer...
(chair of the all-party parliamentary group
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
for the Great Lakes Region of Africa
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...
,) Baroness Trish Morris and Sam Roddick
Sam Roddick
Sam Roddick is the founder of Coco de Mer a British 'erotic emporium' dedicated to the celebration of sexual pleasure, empowerment, dignity and discovery. She is the daughter of Body Shop founder and activist Anita Roddick...
amongst many others, the event promoted action plans such as fundraising and advocacy strategies to actively address the issues.
The following November, Franks organised 'The Great Congo Demonstration' at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
on the 100th year anniversary of the then Archbishop of Canterbury's call for an end to the violence in the Congo. Supported by the current Archbishop
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, and other religious leaders, politicians, activists and celebrities, and accompanied by group letters to the press, the demonstration called for an end to the systemic sexual violence
Sexual violence
Sexual violence occurs throughout the world, although in most countries there has been little research conducted on the problem. Due to the private nature of sexual violence, estimating the extent of the problem is difficult...
against women in the region. The event helped to boost the profile of the campaign, receiving significant press coverage and was mentioned favourably during a debate in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
Public appearances
Franks has featured regularly in the broadcast and print media in recent years. She is a regular contributor to topical and current affairs programmes with appearances on shows such as This Week, Radio 4'sBBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
and Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, where she appeared along with Britt Ekland
Britt Ekland
Britt-Marie Ekland is a Swedish actress and singer, and a long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for her roles as a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun, and in the British cult horror film The Wicker Man, as well as her marriage to actor Peter Sellers, and her...
. She was also a guest on Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
in June 2010, discussing the expected cuts to public expenditure in the forthcoming UK budget
June 2010 United Kingdom Budget
The June 2010 United Kingdom Budget, officially known as 2010 Budget - Responsibility, freedom, fairness: a five year plan to re-build the economy, was delivered by George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the House of Commons in his budget speech that commenced at about 12.30 p.m on Tuesday...
with reference to Thatcher's economic policies in the 1980s.
She has also made various other television appearances. In November 2007, Franks was a contestant on the 7th series
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (Series 7 UK)
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! returned on ITV Network for a seventh series on Monday 12 November, and ran until Friday 30 November 2007.Series six winner Matt Willis and his fiancée, Emma Griffiths, are presenting ITV2's I'm a Celebrity.....
of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, and contributed to the third series of Grumpy Old Women
Grumpy Old Women
For the live show, see Grumpy Old Women LiveGrumpy Old Women is a British television series, continuing in the same vein as its predecessor, Grumpy Old Men. Both programmes are shown on BBC Two. The first two series were narrated by Alison Steadman, and the third by Judith Holder...
in the same year. She was a member of the 'Bizchicks' team of entrepreneurs who competed on the Eggheads quiz show in November 2008, alongside teammates including the former dragon
Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
, Rachel Elnaugh
Rachel Elnaugh
Rachel Elnaugh is a British entrepreneur, who came to prominence as an investor on the first two seasons of BBC Two's TV show Dragons' Den, in which hers was the sole female perspective alongside four male entrepreneurs known as the Dragons.-Early life:Her family lived above her father's...
, Laura Tenison and Emma Harrison
Emma Harrison (entrepreneur)
Emma Harrison CBE is a British entrepreneur. She is the chairman, owner and founder of A4e . A graduate engineer , she has received honorary doctorates from the University of Derby and the University of Bradford....
, in order to raise money for The Nema Foundation, a charity running projects to relieve child poverty in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
In February 2009 she guested on the sixth series of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
Programme, Come Dine with Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me is a popular Channel 4 television programme shown in the United Kingdom, produced by Granada Television and first broadcast in January 2005. The show has either four or five amateur chefs competing against each other hosting a dinner party for the other contestants...
, with fellow diners Michelle Gayle
Michelle Gayle
Michelle Patricia Gayle is a British recording artist, actress and author. Gayle had success as a Soul and R&B singer in the 1990s. She achieved seven Top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart, her two biggest hits to date being "Sweetness" and "Do You Know"...
, Chris Elisson
Christopher Ellison
Christopher Michael Ellison is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the popular ITV police series The Bill and short lived spin off series Burnside....
and Raef Bjayou
Raef Bjayou
Raphael "Raef" Bjayou is a British entrepreneur and television presenter who was a contestant on series four of The Apprentice .-Education:...
, and also appeared alongside guests including Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, Carol Decker and Toby Young
Toby Young
Toby Young, MA, FRSA is a British journalist and the author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the tale of his stint in New York as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine...
on the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
show, The Supersizers Eat..., the following June.
Franks has made regular and varied public speaking engagements, including at Oxford University in 2007 for International Women's Day
International Women's Day
International Women's Day , originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and...
, and at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in the same year. She delivered the 23rd HSBC Bank
HSBC Bank (Europe)
HSBC Bank plc is one of the four major clearing banks in the United Kingdom and is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings. The business ranges from the traditional High Street roles of personal finance and commercial banking, to private banking, consumer finance as well as corporate and...
keynote lecture at Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
in November 2008, was on the judging panel for several enterprise award bodies including the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards
Cartier Women's Initiative Awards
Created in 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards are a joint partnership project initiated by Cartier, the Women’s Forum, McKinsey & Company and INSEAD business school to encourage women entrepreneurs....
and even performed a stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
routine at ITV's
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
London Studios
The London Studios
The London Studios is a television studio complex which is owned by London Weekend Television and has been home to the London Weekend ITV provider since 1972...
for International Women's Day 2009. She also continues to write a monthly column for 'Natural Health Magazine'.
In July 2011, Franks was awarded an honorary doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
in recognition of her career achievements in business and the media.