Ms Cook will be a non-executive director on the Tesco board

Karen Cook, who is a managing director of investment bank Goldman Sachs, will start her new role on 1 October.

Tesco chairman David Reid said: "I am delighted that Karen Cook is joining the board of Tesco.

"Karen is a highly respected investment banker, and brings with her considerable knowledge of the global financial markets."

Ms Cook has successfully balanced the pressure of raising six children, aged between nine and 18, with the demands of a high-flying job in the City of London.

Career history

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs International in 1999, she was co-head of UK corporate finance at Schroders.

Ms Cook was also a non-executive director at electrical retailer Dixons for six years between 1997 and 2003.

Her career is likely to draw comparisons to that of Nicola Horlick, a mother-of-five and former investment fund manager at SG Asset Management.

She wrote a book entitled Can You Really Have It All? about her experiences in the City.

A survey for the Department of Trade & Industry in 2003 revealed that 9% of board members of FTSE 100 companies are women, and only 4% of those are in executive roles.

Marjorie Scardino, of FT owner Pearson, remains the only female chief executive.

However, more blue-chip firms than ever before have women directors, with 68 firms having at least one female board member in 2003.