DIANNE Thompson, chief executive of Camelot, has been named Business Woman of the Year.

Dianne, who lives in Penn, beat around 70 nominations before being shortlisted for the Veuve Clicquot Award.

The 50-year old marketing expert was described as having many qualities, especially flair and leadership by John West, managing director of Veuve Clicquot (UK) Ltd who said she was a worthy inheritor of the title for the year 2000.

Dianne became chief executive of Camelot Group plc, operator of The National Lottery, last December when it was announced that Camelot had won the second licence against Sir Richard Branson's People's Lottery.

She joined Camelot in 1997 as commercial operations director.

Dianne said: "I am thrilled to have been chosen for this prestigious award. Although the licence fight catapulted us into the headlines it was our track record as a successful and efficient business that secured our win."