Eliza Manningham-Buller

Baroness Manningham-Buller is a distinguished leader, former Director General of MI5 and former Chair of the Wellcome Trust, with a career spanning national security, science and public life. She brings a unique perspective on leading organisations through periods of profound uncertainty and change.

Eliza headed the UK’s Security Service from 2002 to 2007, a period marked by the aftermath of 9/11, the rise of Al-Qaeda and the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London. During her tenure, MI5 underwent significant expansion and transformation while facing unprecedented public and political scrutiny. Earlier in her career, she worked across a wide range of intelligence areas, including Irish terrorism, surveillance, technical collection, finance and IT, and served as Deputy Director General responsible for intelligence operations. Her roles also took her to Washington during the first Gulf War.

From 2015 to 2021, Eliza chaired the Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest charitable funders of medical research. Under her leadership, the organisation supported research across areas including infectious disease and mental health, while playing a significant role in the global response to Covid-19. Having recognised the potential impact of a major pandemic, Wellcome was also involved in establishing the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Drawing on two decades at the helm of very different organisations, Eliza explores what effective leadership looks like when circumstances are constantly shifting. She examines how leaders must adapt their priorities to address complex and often unexpected challenges, from terrorism and pandemics to climate change, diversity and fairness.

Her talks offer practical lessons in leadership, emphasising the value of openness, accountability, constructive criticism and genuine engagement with colleagues. She also believes that good leaders should remain authentic, recognise the contribution of their teams and understand the importance of humour, even in the most challenging circumstances.

A crossbench peer and Fellow of the Royal Society, Eliza is also a former President of Chatham House and served as Chair of Council at Imperial College London. She has delivered the prestigious BBC Reith Lectures, Securing Freedom, which explored the challenges of protecting liberty in an increasingly complex world.

Speaking Topics

• Leadership
  
• Change Management
  
• Risk & Risk Management

📩 Book Eliza Manningham-Buller for Your Next Event

📧 E-Mail info@primeperformers.co.uk
📞 Call 020 3500 3331