MEDIA HEADLINER: Quiet determination puts IPC veteran into the driving seat.(Sylvia Auton appointed chief executive)

The appointment of Sylvia Auton has raised eyebrows everywhere.

Judging by the reaction, had it not been for the discovery of John Major's dalliance with Edwina Currie, the appointment of Sylvia Auton as chief executive of IPC would have been the biggest surprise since the world discovered what Frank Bough really got up to in his leisure time.

'What a bizarre choice,' was the chorus going around the media agencies as press directors tried to figure out just who the hell Auton was and how she'd seemingly risen through the IPC ranks without drawing much attention.

Such a response was perfectly understandable. The search for a successor to Sly Bailey had been long and tortuous and Auton had never featured on any of the lists of names being touted around town.

So why do people know so little about her? Well, unless you've worked at IPC you'll probably never have met her. But having spent 26 years working her way up the company's corporate greasy pole, she's IPC down to the bone.

'She was an archetypal IPC-lifer,' one of her former colleagues says.

'She loves processes and systems and IPC suited her perfectly.'