Available to book
Eliza Manningham-Buller
Business Strategy
Crisis Management
Negotiation
Transform leadership strategy with Eliza Manningham-Buller, speaker and former MI5 Director General. Eliza equips organisations to navigate uncertainty, manage crisis response, and develop authentic leadership, drawing from her experience leading Britain's security service and the Wellcome Trust.
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Baroness Manningham-Buller LG, DCB, FRS, was the head of Britain's Security Service (MI5) from 2002 to 2007 and later as Chair of the Wellcome Trust from 2015 to 2021. Her leadership spanned critical periods, from counterterrorism to global health crises. Baroness Manningham-Buller's two decades of leadership across different organisations highlight the commonalities in managing unpredictability and safeguarding millions. She stresses the need for leaders to adapt to evolving stakeholder demands and address unforeseen challenges. From tackling threats like climate change and pandemics to promoting diversity and fairness, leaders must navigate a complex landscape affecting organisational success and societal well-being.
During her time at MI5, Baroness Manningham-Buller guided the organisation through significant change, growth, and scrutiny, particularly after the 9/11 attacks and the 7/7 bombings in London. Before becoming Director General, she held various roles, including a stint in Washington during the first Gulf War. She managed 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, Baroness Manningham-Buller 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 pandemic threat, the Trust helped establish the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Baroness Manningham-Buller shares leadership lessons from her extensive career in her presentations, 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. She also underscores the power of finding humour, even in challenging situations. Baroness Manningham-Buller is a crossbench peer, Co-president of the foreign policy think-tank Chatham House, and was Chair of the 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.
Topics, sessions and talks
Baroness Manningham-Buller will discuss how leaders manage change and risk under pressure, handle crises, and build accountable, supportive cultures. She will also cover leading towards goals while under scrutiny and the importance of values-driven leadership. Attendees will learn effective strategies for leadership in challenging times.
Book Eliza Manningham-Buller for unparalleled insights on leadership through crises, from counterterrorism to global health. Her experience at MI5 and the Wellcome Trust offers invaluable lessons on adaptability, authenticity, and resilience. Perfect for inspiring your team to navigate today's complex challenges.
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Email eliza.manningham.buller@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Baroness Eliza's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
Eliza Manningham-Buller draws on two decades of leadership across MI5 and the Wellcome Trust to present case-based lessons, using real institutional examples — including the post-9/11 expansion of MI5 and the Trust's pandemic preparedness work — to ground principles around crisis management, honest communication, and values-driven decision-making.
Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller's session covers leadership under pressure, crisis management, values-driven leadership, accountability, and navigating scrutiny during periods of significant organisational change. She served as Director General of MI5 from 2002 to 2007, guiding the organisation through the aftermath of 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings, and subsequently as Chair of the Wellcome Trust from 2015 to 2021, where she oversaw the charity's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and helped establish the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
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