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Watch now: Leading the Way - women in public service leadership

  • Writer: Mutual Ventures
    Mutual Ventures
  • Mar 7
  • 2 min read



As part of our celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, we held this exciting virtual event to discuss the importance and impact of women in positions of leadership within public services, and to hear from them directly about their experiences.


 Jordan Binedell, Senior Consultant at Mutual Ventures, was joined by female leaders including:


-Theresa Leavy, current Interim Director of Children’s Services at Cheshire East Council. Theresa has had a long and impactful career in children’s services, from being an 18-year-old in charge of a group of kids in residential care, all the way through to her role leading Dorset Council's improvement journey as Executive Director of Children's Services.


-Professor Donna Hall, Non-Executive Director at Mutual Ventures. Donna was recently named 4th in the top 25 thinkers in local government by the Local Government Information Unit. She is Chair of adult social care provider PossAbilities, having previously been the Chief Executive of Wigan Council and the Chair of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. Donna pioneered the radical “Wigan Deal” and remains a major voice in public service reform circles.


-Judge Gillian Matthews, former Designated Family Judge for Teesside. Judge Matthews became a QC in 2009; after becoming a Circuit Judge she was appointed Designated Civil Judge at Teesside in 2013 – one of only two women at the time. She has been sitting in a judicial capacity since 2005, including becoming a Deputy High Court Judge in 2008 and sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice for a few weeks a year.


-Agata Miskowiec, Managing Consultant and leadership team member at Mutual Ventures. Agata is a driving force behind high-impact projects that bridge social care, children’s services, and family justice. Passionate about making a real difference, she not only delivers transformative change for clients but also champions workplace culture and wellbeing, ensuring teams thrive.


We were also proud to launch our report on the experiences and perspectives of women working within public services.








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