In spite of the elevation of Irish Permanent's Barbara Patton to the position of president of the Marketing Institute, the organisation remains a boys' club. This is particularly surprising given the number of women working in the area. But of its 2,775 members, the overwhelming majority, 2,077 are male.

Eight of those members - all male - are being honoured this evening at a ceremony in Trinity College where they will become fellows of the institute. They include Opel's managing director Mr Arnold O'Byrne; Mr Colin Gordon, MD of C&C; Mr Redmond O'Donoghue, chief executive officer, Waterford Crystal; Mr Seamus Scally, MD Musgrave; Mr Noel Hynes, MD Shelbourne Park Stadium; Mr John Fanning, MD McConnells Advertising; Mr Michael Maughan, MD of O&M Group and Mr Tom Prior of Prior Associates.