'We hired Sam in the early 1990s at the A Plus Group (later to become Brodeur) as an account manager and were immediately struck by her fearsome dedication to her clients and her team.
'She did everything with a passion and enthusiasm that swept people up and made them follow her, but she did it with humour and a persuasive quality that hid the steel behind the silk.
'And at the same time she worked all hours to gain the postgraduate qualifications in marketing that have helped her achieve her true potential.
'With her intelligence, interpersonal skills and commitment, Sam was only ever going up in the world.'
Sam Lucas is now a managing director at Burson-Marsteller's New York corporate practice.