What do they say about her?

'Sofie has an extensive and sophisticated knowledge of the advertising and sales world. As a senior member of the Marketing Department, her contribution was significant.' Director of Personnel, Royal Opera House 2004

'We are in awe of her. Wherever we go, she precedes us.' Advertising Sales Agency subcontracted by the Royal Opera House 1999

'We have found Theatre Partnerships to be professional, creative, market-aware and always sensitive to the needs of client companies and their budgets. What's more, they are fun to work with.' Richard Lynam Partnership, a consultancy working in social investment including arts support for clients such as BP, UBS, Airbus and General Motors.

1961 - born in Rome, Italy, to artist Mary Sprake and bookseller Raymond Mason

1977 - GCE A level: Pure Maths, English, Italian, Applied Art

1979 - turned down for every college listed, gains place at Mansfield College, Oxford

1980 - Violet Vaughan Morgan Prize for Literature

1981 - made no impression whatsoever at the Edinburgh Fringe with two plays and one review

1982 - First Class degree in English Language and Literature

1983 - English tutor to unappreciative students in private crammer

1984 - Clerical Officer at Borough Unemployment Benefit Office

1988 - Telesales Canvasser at The Observer

1988 - Display sales Executive at EMAP on computer titles

1989 - Advertising Department Supervisor at Longman Law Tax and Finance

1992 - Sales & Development Manager at East End Offset Printers

1994 - Royal Opera House Advertising Manager

1996 - increases total advertising revenue to a record breaking £600,000 and wins union rights for admin staff at the Royal Opera House

1997 - voted first woman BECTU Union Branch Secretary for backstage staff at the Royal Opera House

1998 - organized rally at Conway Hall headlined by Jonathan Miller, Philip Hedley, Lesley Garrett and Simon Callow against government proposals to merge ENO and Royal Opera House into one company

2000 - Promoted to Royal Opera House Head of Sales in charge of advertising, promotions, media-partnerships, Box Office managers and Box Office staff.

2003 - researched and published a comparative study of funding across ten London theatres

2004 - left Royal Opera House after ten years to set up Theatre Partnerships and raise corporate sponsorship money for new writing and new directing theatres

2005 - raised sponsorship for additional projects working with international music agents Askonas Holt: China National Beijing Opera at Sadler's Wells, The Australian Ballet at London Coliseum and Amjad Ali Khan (Master of the Sarod) at the Royal Festival Hall

2006 - sponsorship sought for a new Off West End theatre website, Japanese Kabuki at Sadler's Wells and the Royal Ballet Soloists Tour to the Far East.