RITA CRUISE O'BRIEN has a background in working to improve the social and economic problems of developing countries. She has consulted for British Telecom, the OECD, the EU, the UK government and the United Nations. She was Managing Director of a start-up company and Publishing Director of Pergamon Infoline. She has previously lectured at University College, London and worked as Research Fellow at the University of Sussex and LSE. She was Research Fellow, Director of the International Executive Masters Programme and Programme Director for company-specific programmes at the Centre for Management Development at the London Business School. Rita has an MA from the University of California, Berkeley and a PhD from the London School of Economics.