Nicky Moffat CBE

Nicky Moffat was Britain’s highest ranking female Army officer, retiring as a Brigadier. In almost thirty years of service, she held a range of personnel, administration, and leadership roles. Joining the Army as a second lieutenant, Nicky rose quickly through the ranks of the Adjutant General's Corps to the rank of Brigadier. With women excluded from serving on the front line, she served in various support, training and administration roles specialising in leadership duties.

As Company Commander in the Army Training Regiment, Nicky leads a team of instructors responsible for the induction of recruits into the Army before moving into management and training for all Army Land Forces across the world. She worked at the Ministry of Defence where as well as strategy, policy, and finance roles, she worked as Private Secretary to Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon. She also formulated and communicated the Government agenda on defence, including on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sierra Leone.

As Training Unit Commander, Nicky delivered leadership, management and technical training to Army personnel and civilian staff. She designed and implemented system and process improvements in training, staff development and career management for staff from all backgrounds, at all levels, and spread across the country. As Director of the Army's five thousand HR, Finance and Administration specialists, she was responsible for the Armed Forces Redundancy and Pay Review Programme, providing decision and advisory briefing to Ministers and the Defence and Service Personnel boards. She was also responsible for officer promotion, appointment, and career management.

Throughout her career, Nicky has led diverse groups in an organisation both steeped in tradition but subject to rapid and significant changes of policy, technology, and resources. She has taken leading roles in administration, planning and training including instructing officers in the art of leadership. She gives a perspective on the role of strong leadership in driving inclusive change and optimum performance.

As well as leadership, Nicky also addresses training, career development, and women in leadership roles and in organisations more generally. She advised Army Board members on the retention and progression of female talent and now offers practical advice for employers who are looking to attract, develop and retain diversity of talent. After leaving the Army she has worked to bring her leadership and talent expertise to the private sector, and was also one of the instructor/assessors on BBC2’s Secret Agent Selection: WW2 which saw members of the public undergo the Special Operations Executive recruitment process of the 1940s.