We are privileged to see the talent shaping and delivering our public services; working across over 600 of the most senior roles each year, with over 50% of placements being women*, and as women make up over a third of our own workforce, International Women’s Day is business as usual for GatenbySanderson.
In another inspiring year where our public services have been focused upon protecting communities, economic regeneration and education and building more sustainable environment, we are privileged to be at the centre of appointing and developing some of the UK’s leading female influencers every single day. Everyone at GS, women and men, cross our arms in solidarity to commit to #BreakTheBias, supporting female talent to help shape a better, more inclusive, and diverse society.
24 hours seems insufficient to highlight the achievements of so many in our network, so we are taking the opportunity over the next few weeks to pause, recognise and celebrate the many women we have appointed and get their perspective on bias and their action to achieve equality.
We start by celebrating just some of the women we had the honour to help appoint in the last 12 months to some of the most senior roles in public life.
- Chief Executives
- Chairs
- Directors – Central Government and Regulation
- Directors – Community, Protection and Defence
- Directors – Health
- Directors – Housing
- Directors – Education
- Directors – Not for Profit
- Directors – Local Government
- Catherine Mealing-Jones, Chief Executive, Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
- Angela McLaren, Commissioner of Police, City of London Police
- Michelle Russell, Chief Executive, Security Industry Authority
- Tracey Fletcher, Chief Executive, East Kent Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust
- Pippa Nightingale, Chief Executive, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- Ruth Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Kate Franklin, Chief Executive, Gateway Housing Association
- Sarah Swanson, Managing Director – Syncora, The Calico Group
- Theresa Hodgkinson, Chief Executive, Ashfield District Council
- Rose Rouse, Chief Executive, Pendle Borough Council
- Jane Parfrement, Chief Executive (Principal), The Staff College
- Sara Thakkar, Chief Executive Officer, Camphill Village Trust
- Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, National Lottery Heritage Fund
- Sarah Beale, Chief Executive Officer, AAT.
- Leisha Fullick, Chair, Morley College London
- Isla Wilson, Chair, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Margaret Schwarz, Chair, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Selina Ullah, Chair, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Sarah Armstrong, Chair, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- Val Davies, Chair, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Karen Cook, Chair, Livewell Southwest
- Marie Burnham, Chair, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Katharine Hibbert, Chair, Co-op Homes
- Ingrid Fife, Chair, Yorkshire Housing
- Radha Chakraborty, Chair, The Bell Foundation.
Directors – Central Government and Regulation
- Nicole Rinaldi, Director of Professional Services, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
- Catherine Large, Executive Director of Vocational and Technical Qualifications, Ofqual
- Meghann Archer-Downing, Deputy Director Customer Compliance Group (CCG) Enterprise Portfolio Office Lead, HM Revenue and Customs
- Simone Lowthe-Thomas, Director of Nature Recovery and Climate Change, Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
- Elizabeth D’Costa, Chief Compliance Officer , Money and Pensions Service
- Emily Topping, Deputy Director of Learning Operations and Delivery, Home Office
- Kuljit Dhillon, Assistant Director Strategy, General Medical Council
- Elizabeth Jenkins, Assistant Director Legal Services, General Medical Council
- Rachel Gardner-Poole, Managing Director (Operations), Connected Places Catapult
- Rosemary Jerrit, Construction Director, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Cheryl Stevens, Digital Director for Shared Channels Experience, Department for Work and Pensions
- Elizabeth Fairburn, Customer Experience Director, Department for Work and Pensions
- Emily Hobbs, Director of Capability Learning & Talent, Department for Work and Pensions
- Anna Hall, Head of Debt Operations, Money and Pensions Service
- Natasha Still, Head of Service Performance Quality and Standards, Money and Pensions Service
- Emma Ferguson-Gould, Group Commercial & Business Development Officer, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Directors – Community, Protection and Defence
- Eileen Jessop, Chief Digital Information Officer, Ministry of Defence
- Mary Sunderland, Programme Director, Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
- Michelle Thorp, Transformation Director, Metropolitan Police Service.
- Katherine Birch, Director of Alder Hey Academy, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Alison Smith, Deputy Chief Executive, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
- Helen Stevens-Jones, Director of Partnership Communications and Engagement, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
- Naheed Nazir, Director of Equality and Inclusion, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Alexandra Slater, Executive Director of Customer Services, Community Health Partnerships
- Kate Daly-Brown, Executive Director of Nursing & Quality, East Cheshire NHS Trust
- Rebecca Carlton, Chief Operating Officer, East Kent Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust
- Gillian Findley, Chief Nurse, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Andrea Williams-McKenzie, Deputy Chief People Officer – Director of People and Organisational Development, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Sarah Maskell, Director of Equality Diversity & Inclusion, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Teresa French, Executive Director of Nursing & Quality Humber, Coast and Vale Integrated Care System
- Jayne Adamson, Executive Director of People, Humber Coast and Vale Integrated Care System
- Amanda Bloor, Chief Operating Officer, Humber Coast and Vale Integrated Care System
- Katrina Ellis, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, Humber Coast and Vale Integrated Care System
- Kindra Hyttner, Director of Communications and Engagement, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
- Donna Hayward-Sussex, Chief Operating Officer, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
- Rachel Daly, Director of Medical Education, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
- Victoria Robinson-Collins, Director of People and Organisational Development, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Nicola Wilson, Chief Operating Officer / Deputy Chief Executive, Liverpool Health Partners
- Helen Clifton, Executive Director of Product Delivery, NHS Digital
- Elizabeth Poskitt, Director of Operational Finance, North Bristol NHS Trust
- Shola Adegoroye, Chief Operating Officer, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
- Susan Young, Director of People and Organisational Development, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Melanie Roberts, Chief Nurse, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
- Angie Wallace, Chief Operating Officer, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
- Clair Hobbs, Chief Nurse, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
- Sarah Lloyd, Director of Finance, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
- Rhia Boyode, Director of People & Organisational Development, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
- Annemarie Lawrence, Director of Midwifery, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
- Amy Freeman, Director of Digital Transformation, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
- Charlotte Hopkins, Chief Medical Officer, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Hayley Kendall, Chief Operating Officer, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Deborah Smith, Chief People Officer, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Nadine Boczkowski, Associate Director – Digital Data and Technology, Community Health Partnerships
- Maxine Chong, Director of Midwifery, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- Boryana Stambolova, Deputy Director of Finance – Strategy and Commercial, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- Fiona Blackhall, Director of Research & Innovation, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Jen Freer, Associate Director Medicine and Urgent Care Division, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.
- Kirsty Spark, Executive Director Finance and IT, Accent Group
- Julie Wittich, Executive Director Assets & Sustainability, Accent Group
- Shabana Yousaf, Director of Property Building Safety and Compliance, Arhag Housing Association
- Madeleine Nelson, Chief Operating Officer, Citizen Housing
- Tracy Woods, Chief Finance Officer, First Choice Homes Oldham
- Vicky Savage, Group Director Development & Sales, L&Q
- Sharon Burns, Director of Housing Management, L&Q
- Hannah Manyewu, Executive Director – Customer, Paradigm Housing Group
- Lynne Shea, Executive Director of Corporate Services, Salvation Army Housing Association
- Anne Costain, Executive Director of Finance, Stonewater
- Chloe Christian, Director of Corporate Finance, The Calico Group
- Margaret Goddard, Group Director of Assets, Torus
- Izabela Falinska, Executive Director of Finance and Resources, Vale of Aylesbury Housing
- Claire McDougall, Director of Governance Strategy and Performance, Valleys to Coast
- Rachel McFarlane, Assistant Directors – Customers & Communities , Paradigm Housing Group.
- Samantha Windett, Deputy Director, Learning and Work Institute
- Jane Coley, Education Director, Anthem Schools Trust
- Naomi Phillips, Director of Policy and Research, Learning and Work Institute
- Maureen McLaughlin, Academic Registrar and Director of SLAS, Northumbria University
- Katharine Clough, Director of External Relations, Royal Agricultural University
- Lorraine Thomas, Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Students, Royal Agricultural University
- Jacqui Lipinski, Chief Information Officer and Director of Digital Information and Technical Services, Royal College of Art
- Sarah Cowls, Executive Director Student Services, University College London
- Susannah Goh, Programme Director – Digital Nottingham, University of Nottingham.
- Anna Hargrave, Chief Commissioning Officer, GambleAware
- Rachel Jones, Director of Care Housing and Hospitality, Jewish Care
- Rebecca Dobson, Director of Education – Gen Z Leaders, Peter Vardy Foundation.
- Alison Farmer, Assistant Director Principal Educational Psychologist, Kent County Council
- Leona Menville, Director of Homes and Assets, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- Alison Baker, Corporate Director Adults Housing and Health, Swindon Borough Council
- Suzanne Westhead, Director of Adult Social Care, Bath and North East Somerset Council
- Rebecca Hellard, Director of Council Management, Birmingham City Council
- Sue Harrison, Director Education & Skills, Birmingham City Council
- Gemma Gerrish, Head of Children and Families, Cheshire West & Chester Council
- Carol Cammiss, Executive Director Children’s Services, Derbyshire County Council
- Abosede Onaboye, Strategic Director Inclusive Growth, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- Charlotte Taylor, Director of Improvement Change & Control, London Borough of Newham
- Susannah Beasley-Murray, Director of Supporting Families, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Michelle Howard, Director for Housing & Communities (Deputy Chief Executive), Melton Borough Council
- Ailsa Barr, Director for Children’s Integrated Services, Nottingham City Council
- Sharon Hubber, Director of Children’s Services, Rochdale Borough Council
- Alice Davey, Director of Borough Economy, Sandwell Council
- Carly Speechley, Director of Children’s Services, Solihull Council
- Lisa Lyons, Director of Children and Families, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
- Shahzia Daya, Director of One Legal, Tewkesbury Borough Council
- Sophie Wales, Service Director Children’s Social Care and Safeguarding, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
- Natalia Lachkou, Assistant Director Integrated Commissioning, Bath and North East Somerset Council
- Ingrid Brown, Head of Legal, BCP Council (Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole)
- Cheryl Doran, Assistant Director ICT & Digital, Birmingham City Council
- Ellie Horwitch-Smith, Assistant Director Route to Zero Carbon, Birmingham City Council
- Kirstin Clarke, Assistant Director Adults Services, Cambridgeshire County Council
- Emma Markiewicz, Director of the London Metropolitan Archives, City of London Corporation
- Shakira Keddo, Assistant Director – Human Resources & Organisational Development, Greater London Authority
- Adele Poppleton, Service Director – Culture and Visitor Economy, Kirklees Council
- Katherine Armitage, Service Director – Climate Change and Environmental Strategy, Kirklees Council
- Rebecca Johnson, Director of Public Realm, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- Roisin Madden, Director of Early Help & Children’s Social Care, London Borough of Croydon
- Sara Rahman, Director of Families Quality and Commissioning, London Borough of Lewisham
- Catherine O’Rourke, Assistant Director Commissioning and Performance, North Northamptonshire Council
- Zakia Loughead, Assistant Director Safeguarding Provider Services and Wellbeing, North Northamptonshire Council
- Jo Rogers, Director of Operations and Governance, ReLondon
- Catrin Mathias, Head of Property Services, South Gloucestershire Council
- Carol Gibbs, Assistant Director Operations and Regulatory Services, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
- Angela Glithero, Assistant Director Strategy Workforce and Communications, Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
* Of all candidates who declared