Carole Stone joined the BBC as a secretary, and after working on local radio became a producer in charge of network programmes like Woman's Hour. She went on to run BBC Radio 4's flagship current affairs discussion programme Any Questions?, inviting the most interesting and influential people in the country to discuss the issues of the day.

 

Carole left the BBC in 1990 to work as a freelance journalist and broadcaster, and as a self-employed media consultant to chairmen and chief executives of major British companies. With more than 30,000 names in her electronic address book she's been called ‘London's networking queen' – she's famous for putting people together to their mutual advantage. Carole calls it ‘good networking'.

 

In April 2007 Carole became Managing Director of YouGovStone, a joint venture with the online market research agency YouGov. She has now established the YGS ThinkTank – three thousand plus people at the top of their field with whom she carries out online opinion research. Carole also continues to bring people together over lunch and at debates to discuss social issues that concern us all.

 

Speaking about One Young World, she says: "To give 25 year olds the chance to think ahead to the sort of world they want to inhabit is critical to our future. One Young World will give our young people the opportunity to do just that – to join in debate and discussion with others, and then to move forward with the ideas and plans that will help change lives."