Women in Leadership

Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Maggie has led projects making anything from land mine detectors to satellite sub-systems that measure variables like wind speed to improve our knowledge of climate change. In presentations the Sky At Night expert talks about exploring space with missions like Rosetta, and how we live in a galaxy with 200 billion stars. Maggie believes that with 100 billion galaxies in the universe, there must be life out there – simply as a matter of probability.

Lyse Doucet

One of the BBC’s most widely respected journalists, Lyse has covered some of the most tumultuous events around the world, from the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan to the Arab Spring uprisings and the war in Ukraine. Despite the conflict and terror, she’s an unshakeable optimist, seeing the humanity and unity of people in the toughest of circumstances. She analyses the political and social uncertainty the world faces, and considers the nature of risk. She also reveals the lighter side to reporting from some of the world’s most dangerous places.

Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

One of the most senior women in the fire service, Sabrina combines experience in making tough decisions in pressurised, stressful situations with studying the behavioural neuroscience of decision making. As well as insights into leadership and risk, her own personal story - homeless at 15, a firefighter at 18, combining frontline service with studying for a PhD in Psychology - is a lesson in resilience, determination and achievement.