The daughter of an Austrian horologist and a primary school headmistress, Dr Eva was born at 9am on May 13th, 1972 (her due date). Her exemplary academic record culminated in her receiving a PhD in Time and Lateness Studies from the University of Heidelberg. Her thesis, "Every Second Counts: The True Cost of Lateness 1994-1995" has since been translated into six languages and has topped the Punctuality Monthly bestseller list for almost nine years.

"I actually have a bit of a, how do you say, soft spot for Punctuality Monthly. I worked there as a receptionist in the late 80s when they had offices in Greenwich, my spiritual home. Unfortunately the CEO sacked me one time when I refused him entry to the office at three minutes past nine. Really, it was he who should have gone for making such a bad example," Dr Eva confided to us in a recent interview.

Now the biggest advocate of the Stop Lateness campaign (after its founders, of course), Dr Eva divides her time between the acclaimed Pünktlich Clinic in Düsseldorf, an institution which she is proud to admit "runs like clockwork", and her pioneering work with the 6 Step Stop Lateness Programme.