Penny Mordaunt

Leadership. Empowerment. Government and Politics. Diplomacy & Defence. Trust in Britain.

Penny Mordaunt was a Parliamentarian for 14 years, holding nine ministerial roles, four in Cabinet. She was the first and only woman to be Secretary of State for Defence, having also been the first and only woman to be Minister for the Armed Forces. As Paymaster General she was became the UK government’s first cross-government defensive cyber lead and led the rebuild of the UK’s civil contingencies and resilience strategy.

She has been Secretary of State for International Development, working with UN agencies, international organisations and she was the UK’s representative at the World Bank. As Trade Minister she brokered new trade deals, oversaw the UK’s accession to CPTPP and established economic agreements with US states, in lieu of a federal deal. In doing so she undertook the longest tour of the US of any Minister since Churchill during WWII. She was also on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee overseeing the UK’s exit from the EU. She has held other roles in local government, work, health, pensions and disability.  Prior to Parliament she worked across all sectors and also in US politics as Head of Foreign Press for the RNC during the Bush 2000 campaign.

She was a Royal Navy Reservist for 10 years and is now an Honorary Captain affiliated to MCM2 Squadron, the UK’s mine hunters and bomb disposal divers. She is co-author of Greater: Britain after the storm, which made bestseller lists in the UK and the US.

She came to the public’s attention in the role of Leader of the Commons and Lord President of the Council, presiding over the Accession Council following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and at the coronation of King Charles III.

She has won Parliamentary Wit of the Year, Spectator speech of the year, was among Gracia and Vogue’s most influential women of the year.  Known for her speeches and exchanges in the House of Commons, she is one of only four women to have been asked to address the Saints and Sinners club, the others being Princess Anne, Margaret Thatcher and Dame Vera Lynn.

“I have been profoundly impressed by how easily Penny can assess and understand a situation and then provide insightful advice across multiple levels of analysis, providing both a national and international perspective.”

“I have witnessed Penny’s leadership skills on multiple occasions. I am always amazed at how she can diffuse tension and turn heated argument into constructive discussion. I have learnt so much from her.”

“As director of an Institute in the life sciences, I was often ill-prepared for the complexity of the job. Penny’s advice on staff welfare, equalities, engaging with communities, interacting with charities, and developing a financial strategy has allowed us to thrive and build our scientific enterprise. I cannot thank her enough.”