One of the country's best-known business women is in Brighton today to address a conference of leading librarians from around the world.

Dame Stephanie Shirley changed her name to Steve at one point in order to break into the male-dominated world of business.

After a highly successful career, she is now devoting herself to charitable work - and learning to ride a unicycle!

Neither of these hobbies fit the stereotypical British business leader, but then Dame Stephanie is no ordinary business woman - and she is proud of her background and achievements.

As the founder and life president of business technology company FI Group, Dame Stephanie is featured at the top end of the list of Britain's richest women.

She is also one of the country's most generous supporters of charities, having given away more than £25 million of her personal fortune to help disadvantaged children and adults.

Dame Stephanie said: "I was pleased to be invited to address the conference and I think I will be able to pass on some valuable information about setting up a business and overcoming adversity.

"I may be retired now, but I'm certainly no less busy than I was when I ran FI Group.

"Since I started FI Group in 1962 on my dining room table with just £6 of capital, I have believed in empowerment.

"Empowerment of women, empowerment of colleagues in the workforce and empowerment of people with disabilities."

"I think that could be the theme running through my life."

She founded FI as a business technology services group and a 20th Century cottage industry for women with dependents.

FI pioneered the concept of 'women returners' and became a company of women for women - until the equal opportunity legislation arrived in the mid-70s when the company took on its first male worker.

FI was eventually floated in 1996 and quickly acquired a whopping price-to-earnings ratio that today values the group at approaching £2 billion.

She said: "My lack of business experience meant I wasn't constrained. I had the freedom to innovate - and to make mistakes.

"This led to new ways of staffing, new ways of marketing and new ways of financing the business - since traditional sources of money wouldn't look at me with a young baby."