Congratulations to Kate Willsher, Chief Operations Officer of IfM ECS, who has won for a Whitehall Industry Group (WIG) Leadership Impact Award 2019.

Kate, who completed the WIG Women's Leadership Programme last year, was shortlisted alongside finalists in leadership roles across government and the private sector, including from the Cabinet Office, the Government Legal Department and the National Grid.

Kate discusses her experience on the leadership programme in this video, including growing in confidence in leadership to "take her seat at the table":

Applicants were asked to demonstrate how learning in a WIG context has had a significant positive impact on their own leadership practice and their ability to lead teams. They were selected based on how they have made a real difference within and beyond their organisations.

Kate commented:

“Through the WIG programme, my mentor and the advice and support of my cohort, I have had the opportunity to represent IfM ECS externally at a senior level. This has been hugely valuable coming from a University-owned company with relationships across government and industry as it helped me appreciate cross-sector similarities, build external collaborations, and look for opportunities to improve internal ways of working.”

We're delighted that Kate has been recognised with this well-deserved award.