Full Name
Dame Penny Mordaunt
Job Title
Former Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom
Speaker Bio
Rt Hon Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE PC was a Parliamentarian for 14 years, holding nine ministerial roles, four in Cabinet. She now has a portfolio career working in business, defence, development, investment, media and philanthropy. This includes Chairing the Financial Services firm Opera, the defence firm Subsea Craft and the Coalition for Global Prosperity. As Global Ambassador for the Team Lewis Foundation she helps provide support to 3000 charities across the world.
She was Secretary of State for Defence, for International Development and Minister for the Armed Forces and sat on the UK’s National Security Council. As Paymaster General she was the UK’s first defensive cyber lead. She headed the UK’s civil contingencies and rewrote the UK’s resilience strategy post covid. As a local Government Minister, she had responsibility for the fire service. Her experience spans disaster and humanitarian relief, disease outbreaks, terrorist attacks and all UK defence operations and force generation. She has chaired COBRA, NATO and the EU Battle Group exercises. She was a Royal Navy Reservist for 10 years and an honorary officer for six, affiliated to our Mine Hunters and bomb disposal divers. She retains a support role with the Royal Navy as part of Barham Squadron.
She supported Brexit and pioneered State-level deals with the US in lieu of a trade deal. As Minister for health, work and disabled people she devised the health and work road map which saw 1 million disabled people into work and founded the Global Disability Summit. She was the UK Governor at the World Bank.
She came to the public’s attention as 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 is a double best-selling author and her latest book Pomp & Circumstance argues why the UK is well placed to weather the rapid pace of change and uncertainty which marks our times.
She was Secretary of State for Defence, for International Development and Minister for the Armed Forces and sat on the UK’s National Security Council. As Paymaster General she was the UK’s first defensive cyber lead. She headed the UK’s civil contingencies and rewrote the UK’s resilience strategy post covid. As a local Government Minister, she had responsibility for the fire service. Her experience spans disaster and humanitarian relief, disease outbreaks, terrorist attacks and all UK defence operations and force generation. She has chaired COBRA, NATO and the EU Battle Group exercises. She was a Royal Navy Reservist for 10 years and an honorary officer for six, affiliated to our Mine Hunters and bomb disposal divers. She retains a support role with the Royal Navy as part of Barham Squadron.
She supported Brexit and pioneered State-level deals with the US in lieu of a trade deal. As Minister for health, work and disabled people she devised the health and work road map which saw 1 million disabled people into work and founded the Global Disability Summit. She was the UK Governor at the World Bank.
She came to the public’s attention as 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 is a double best-selling author and her latest book Pomp & Circumstance argues why the UK is well placed to weather the rapid pace of change and uncertainty which marks our times.
Speaking At
