Eliza Manningham-Buller

Baroness Manningham-Buller LG, DCB

Eliza Manningham-Buller served as the head of Britain’s Security Service (MI5) from 2002 to 2007 and later as Chair of the Wellcome Trust, one of the largest charitable funders of medical research and initiatives to improve human health, from 2015 to 2021. Her tenure in these roles saw her lead through extraordinary and high-pressure periods, from counterterrorism to global health crises.

Reflecting on two decades of leadership across vastly different organisations, Eliza emphasises the commonalities in managing unpredictability and safeguarding millions. She discusses the necessity for leaders to adapt to evolving demands from stakeholders and to address new, often unforeseen, challenges. From tackling existential threats like climate change and pandemics to promoting diversity and fairness, leaders must navigate a complex and ever-changing landscape of priorities that affect both their organisation’s success and societal well-being.

During her time at MI5, Eliza guided the organisation through a period of significant change, growth, and scrutiny, particularly in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the 7/7 bombings in London. Before becoming Director General, she held various roles that took her to Washington during the first Gulf War and saw her manage responsibilities ranging from Irish terrorism and surveillance to technical collection, finance, and IT. She eventually became Deputy Director General, overseeing intelligence operations.

As Chair of the Wellcome Trust, Eliza led the UK’s largest charity, overseeing funding for scientific research in areas such as infection and mental health, and responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Anticipating the threat of a pandemic on the scale of Covid-19, the Trust helped establish the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

In her presentations, Eliza shares leadership lessons 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 value of praise, which can have a significant impact in just a few seconds. She also underscores the power of finding humour, even in the most challenging situations.

Eliza is a crossbench peer, Co-president of the renowned 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, where her analysis of the theme ‘Securing Freedom’ also became the basis for her book of the same title.