| Dame Steve Shirley | |
|---|---|
Steve Shirley following Enterprise Tuesday presentation at Cambridge University (Feb 2009) |
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| Born | 16 September 1933 Dortmund, Germany |
| Known for | Philanthropy and founding the IT company, F.I.Group (now Xansa) |
| Profession | Businesswoman |
| Institutions | F.I.Group (Xansa), Chairperson of Autism Speaks and Shirley Foundation |
| Specialism | autism |
Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley, DBE, FRA, FREng, FRSA, FBCS (born September 16, 1933, Dortmund, Germany) is a British businesswoman and philanthropist. She originally arrived in Britain as an unaccompanied Kindertransport child refugee.[1] She was placed with foster parents and later re-united with her biological parents, but later claimed she "never really bonded with them".
In 1962, Shirley founded the software company, F.I. Group (later Xansa, acquired by Steria), and was concerned with creating work opportunities for women with dependents - and employed only women until 1975's Sex Discrimination Act made that illegal. She adopted the name "Steve" to help her in the male-dominated business world.[2] She officially retired at the age of 60 in 1993 and has taken up philanthropy since then.
Shirley was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours,[3] and promoted Dame Commander (DBE) in the New Year Honours, 2000.[4]
In 1987, she gained the Freedom of the City of London. She was President of the British Computer Society from 1989 to 1990. In 1985, she was awarded a Recognition of Information Technology Award. In 1999 she received the Mountbatten Medal.
She has reportedly donated most[5] of her £150m wealth (from the internal sale to the company staff and later the flotation of F.I. Group) to charity during her retirement.[6] Beneficiaries include the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and the Oxford Internet Institute, part of the Oxford University, through the Shirley Foundation. Her late son Giles (1963–1998) was autistic and she became an early member of the National Autistic Society.[7] This special interest has led her to instigate and fund research in this field, for example, through the Autism Research Centre led by Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen.
In 2003 Shirley received the prestigious Beacon Fellowship Prize for her contribution to countering autism and for her pioneering work in harnessing information technology for the public good.[8] She was elected Vice-Chair of the Fellowship by the other prize winners.
She addresses many conferences and lectures around the world and is in frequent contact with parents, carers and those with autism and the related Asperger's Syndrome.[9] In July 2008, she gave a biographical talk about her life and her ideals which is available online from Gresham College titled "Give and Take".
In 2006 Shirley was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) from the University of Bath. On April 25, 2009 at the presentation of graduates ceremony at the Globe in Brighton, the Open University conferred on Shirley an honarary doctorate.
From May 2009 until May 2010, Dame Stephanie Shirley served as the UK's Ambassador for Philanthropy, an appointment of the Cabinet's Office of the Third Sector, giving philanthropists a "voice".