"Leadership – a perspective"

Colonel Lucy Giles was the first female College Commander at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in its 200-year history, responsible for the commissioning of officers into the Regular Army. She now presides over the Army Officer Selection Board as the 36th, and first, female President. As she reflects on her experience over the last 28-years in a predominantly male environment, Lucy will offer some insights on the importance of diversity and inclusion and how this can practically be applied through effective leadership in any walk of life.

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Colonel Lucy M Giles BSc MA PGCE Hon LLD

After gaining her Masters and completing the Advanced Command and Staff Course from 2001-03, Colonel Lucy Giles was posted to HQ Northern Ireland.

She commanded 47 Air Despatch Squadron enabling operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world. She also led a training sub-unit prior to her appointment as an instructor at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in 2011. Here she focussed on command, leadership and management, represented the College in military ethics and leadership development gaining her PGCE in 2013.

Appointed Commander of New College RMAS in January 2015, she received an entry into the Debretts’ People of the Day in 2016. She won the ‘Inspirational’ and ‘Woman of the Year’ awards at the inaugural Women in Defence event in October 2016 and received an honorary doctorate from Exeter University for services to the military in July 2017. Promoted in 2018, she is the 36th President of the Army Officer Selection Board in Westbury. Still keen to ‘give something back’, she continues as ambassador for First Women UK, is part of the Girls School Association teachers’ mentoring programme, a Girl Guiding ambassador, a Director for the Foundation for Leadership through Sport and a member of the FA’s Technical Advisory Board.

Lucy is married to Nick. They have two children; Jess and Alex. She enjoys singing, a bit of drama, chairs the UK Armed Forces orienteering organisation and aims to complete the Marathon es Sables in 2020.