Her experience matches the job description for being an Alderman.  Without any gaps.  She is fluent in the world of finance, understands the importance of good governance and knows how to work with government.  

She has (nearly forty years of) experience of all types of pension arrangements and insurance company investments, risk and regulation. 

She cares about fairness to customers, investing money responsibly and building stakeholder relationships for the long term.

She can imagine how things might pan out many years into the future.  She can assess the risks and use this to build confidence around taking bold decisions.

She’s passionate about flexible working, having worked part time since 2005 and set up a charity to support executives and teams working flexibly.  She knows from experience what is difficult about hybrid working and can see how this will change how we live and work in the City of London.

She knows how important it is to have a strong community having a clear sense of identity and belonging.  Being a part of a bigger group lends us resilience.  She’d like to see more of that in London, putting the Wards in focus. 

She understands how to get the best out of volunteer committees, having chaired the actuarial profession’s Management Board, Finance & Investment Board, Efficiency and Governance Group and Continuing Professional Development Committee while an elected member of Council.  She is a good listener, can see things from other people’s perspectives and work out what motivates them.  

She loves the City of London.  She’s been a Freeman of the city for twenty years, is a Past Master of the Actuary’s livery company and now on the Court of the Wheelwrights.  She’s worked with Common Councillors, Aldermen and Sheriffs and understands the different roles.  

She can empathise with those who have known bias, discrimination and bullying. She actively supports and mentors those whose talents are unconventional and unexpected.

She was shouted at, a lot, while working in Switzerland as a fluid mechanics researcher in 1984 for being a woman and therefore not able to do maths. She came top of her year in maths at Imperial College, twice. She is a creative mathematician.

She is creative in seeking consensus around a longer-term vision.  She has an ability to see connections between ideas and people and is innovative in devising a path which others can get behind.  She has lots of ideas but isn’t precious or possessive about them. 

She’s led teams in times of crisis.  She can keep a clear head and maintain a sense of perspective.  There may be trouble ahead. 

She’s a professional and has a firm sense of independence.  A psychometric test in her early 40s described her as “off the scale” on independent thinking.  This helps give her the ability to say what needs saying, gently and respectfully.

She’s a perfectionist.   Her attention to detail and inability to ignore a misplaced apostrophe or hyphen is somewhat tedious, even to her, but she’ll make sure things are finished off to high standards.

She’s a cyclist and has been since PM Margaret Thatcher scrapped the London student travel grant in 1984 and she brought her bike to the city.  She still stops at red lights.  

She’s an Honorary Group Captain in the Royal Air Force.  This is a good example of being a round peg in a square hole as she finds the thought of flying in small planes deeply scary, although she loves helicopters.

She has a sense of urgency, and optimism.  She’s glad to be alive and doesn’t waste time.  She fell off a cliff twenty years ago and, despite surviving, wrote her obituary just to remind herself that life is short.  

She has experience of organising successful charity events and loves this aspect of city life.  She has experience as a charity trustee and on charity fundraising and investment committees. 

She’s kind, reliable has some great dance moves and makes exceedingly good cakes.  She’s usually fun to be with and a good friend.  She doesn’t usually get angry, even at red lights.

She has a strong sense of humour and uses it liberally to diffuse tension and difficult situations.  

She’s at home having male titles.  She’s a Batchelor of Science, a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, a Livery Company Past Master and has been a Chairman in the past.  Usually these days she’s a Chair although rarely feels like a piece of the furniture.

She’s a high achiever with a low ego.  The many awards and honours that she’s received have all been surprises to her.  It’s never about the title, it’s about what she can do with it.

She is determined and has amazing stamina.  She had ten years of IVF before motherhood.  Thank you for reading this rather long list.

Described by a coach as “having brains and charm in equal measure”, she’ll be an asset to the Court of Aldermen and make the Ward proud of its choice.