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Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller
Eliza Manningham-Buller led Britain's Security Service (MI5) from 2002 to 2007 and later served as Chair of the Wellcome Trust, one of the largest charitable funders of medical research, from 2015 to 2021. Her leadership in these high-pressure roles spanned counterterrorism efforts and global health crises.
About Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller
Reflecting on her two decades of leadership in diverse organisations, Eliza underscores the similarities in managing unpredictability and safeguarding millions. She emphasises the need for leaders to adapt to evolving stakeholder demands and address new, often unforeseen challenges. This includes tackling existential threats like climate change and pandemics, and promoting diversity and fairness, all of which are crucial for an organisation’s success and societal well-being.
At MI5, Eliza steered the organisation through significant changes and intense scrutiny, especially after the 9/11 attacks and the 7/7 bombings in London. Her career in MI5 included roles in Washington during the first Gulf War and responsibilities covering Irish terrorism, surveillance, technical collection, finance, and IT. As Deputy Director General, she oversaw intelligence operations before becoming Director General.
As Chair of the Wellcome Trust, Eliza oversaw the UK’s largest charity, directing funding for scientific research in areas such as infection and mental health, and responding proactively to the Covid-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, the Trust helped establish the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in anticipation of a global pandemic threat.
In her presentations, Eliza shares leadership insights from her extensive career, highlighting the importance of honest communication and openness to criticism. She advises leaders to be authentic, take responsibility for their teams, and recognise the impact of praise, which can be profound even when brief. She also highlights the power of humor, even in the most challenging situations.
Eliza is a crossbench peer, Co-president of the esteemed foreign policy think-tank Chatham House, and served as Chair of Council at Imperial College for four years. She has delivered the prestigious BBC Reith Lectures, with her analysis on the theme ‘Securing Freedom’ forming the basis of her book of the same title.
To book Keynote Speaker Eliza Manningham-Buller, contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com
Eliza’s speech topics include, but are not limited to:
- Leadership
- Risk
- Culture
- Crisis
- Organisational Resilience
- Change
- Pressure
Testimonials
"Probably one of the best speakers that we’ve had over the past few years. The Q&A session was fantastic – it felt like she had the audience in the palm of her hand, everyone loved it and she left people wanting more. It will be very hard to find another speaker quite like her"
IPD Global
"The quality of speakers and the content balance is the most important part of our planning for this annual conference. Eliza’s story was a highlight. Feedback from the delegates has been outstanding and Eliza rated as one of our standout presenters. The topic fitted exceptionally well with our theme ‘Possibilities’, and to hear from an expert such as Eliza was absolutely fascinating. Her experience and insight on how she was able to lead her organisation, particularly the field she was involved in, gave our people some very important tips in leading people."
AIMS Insurance
"Amazing! Comments have included that she was the best speaker they have heard. It struck a chord with people, particularly the human side to her talk. All reactions have been extremely positive. Eliza was inspirational whilst remaining objective and realistic - as I'm sure you know she is quite a character!!"
Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd
"Eliza did very well. She provided a no nonsense presentation of how leaders overcome challenges and build trust amongst the team. In short, a fascinating and thought-provoking insight. We ask our clients to rate our speakers on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent. Eliza scored 4.8 which is one of the highest scores we've ever had."
CIO Connect
"Eliza was exactly what we required and was superb on the night. The audience reaction was amazing - they absolutely loved her and engaged with her. The post event feedback has been extraordinary."
Upstage
