Helen Alexander CBE, former chief executive of the Economist and former PPA chair, will receive the Marcus Morris Award for her ‘outstanding contribution’ to magazine publishing on Monday.

The award recognises ‘significant and longstanding contributions to the magazine publishing industry in the UK,’ a release from the PPA said.

Alexander was chief executive of the Economist Group from 1997-2008. According to the release, she was ‘pivotal’ in the growth and development of the company: in her last five years profits grew by 75 per cent.

She chaired the PPA from 2006-8 and was awarded a CBE in 2004.