A former corporate big shot has turned her back on the boardroom to help other people run their lives.

Mariella MacLeod (right), 41, who was marketing director at a major fashion label, has given it all up to launch her own concierge business.

The concept, already huge in the USA, sees Mariella and her team take care of aspects of their clients’ personal lives, whether tidying the living-room or buying a car.

But unlike other services, where the fee is dependent upon the task, Mariella’s clients pay per hour, so if it takes two hours to tile a bathroom or update an iPod, the charge is the same.

But jobs can be much more complicated.

Mariella has just project managed a house renovation for one client and organised a holiday for another – from booking the flights to packing the toothbrush.

Based in Bearsden, her firm Dickory Doc counts politicians as well as professional footballers among its customers.

Mariella, used to head Malta’s Junior Chamber of Commerce.