When Alison Cooper formally takes the helm at Imperial Tobacco next May, the 43-year old will join a small group of women leaders of FTSE 100 companies – but it is the task of expanding the company that presents a bigger challenge.

In the UK, she joins a select few female chief executives including Dame Marjorie Scardino at Pearson, owner of the Financial Times, Cynthia Carroll at Anglo American and Katherine Garrett-Cox at Alliance Trust. She also becomes the second woman to run a big tobacco company, following Susan Ivey at Reynolds American.