Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe Lindsay Nicholson had one of the glossiest jobs in British media: editing bestselling women’s magazines, attending A-list parties and sitting front row at fashion shows. Resilience, reinvention and knowing what readers wanted were the currency of that world. Those skills would prove unexpectedly useful when she became chair of governors at City Lit, guiding the country’s largest adult education institution through a cyberattack and financial crisis. As editor and later editorial director at Hearst UK in the 1990s and early 2000s, Nicholson oversaw Good Housekeeping during its commercial and cultural peak, a time when women’s magazines were not just widely read but deeply influential as lifestyle guides to the generations of women balancing family life with work outside the home. Become a member for unlimited access to FE Week subscribe Our members enjoy early access to exclusive content and in-depth articles before anyone else. Get expert journalism on FE and skills, experience fewer ads, and unlock a growing range of member benefits.