Cropper hands over Xansa reins

HILARY Cropper, one of Britain's best known female executives, is handing over control of the IT business services group Xansa she built up over 15 years.

The move follows Cropper's two-year fight with ovarian cancer, which she kept quiet from shareholders until earlier this year as she steered the company through a major restructuring.

Deputy chairman Andrew Buxton, a former chief executive and chairman of Barclays, takes over as Xansa chairman from Wednesday this week until January next year, providing time to find a replacement.

Cropper, 62, said in the summer that she intended to retire by this month's annual general meeting.

At the release of Xansa's full-year results in June, she said: 'I have received treatment for cancer for two years and, while I remain relatively well, the time is right to hand over the reins.'

Cropper joined Xansa in 1985, then called FI Group, as chief executive. The company was famous in the male-dominated technology industry for employing women. It is now worth about £400m, recently winning contracts with Royal Mail, BT and Boots.

Xansa said today that 'advanced discusssions with a preferred candidate are under way'.