Gillian Beasley

Areas of Interest

Politics and Government

Honorary Award

Honorary Doctor of Business Administration, 2009

Biography

Gillian Beasley has spent her career working and excelling in various local government roles. She has helped to make a real difference to people and their lives.

It is for services to local government that Gillian was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours, 2008. For the past six years she has held the post of Chief Executive at Peterborough City Council where she is responsible for a budget of £160 million and over 5,500 employees. For ten years prior to moving to Peterborough, Gillian was with Cambridgeshire County Council and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.

Gillian, who began her career in local government as a trainee lawyer with Leeds City Council in 1983, serves on a number of regional and national government bodies. During her time at Peterborough, she has led major projects for the development and regeneration of the City and secured resources to support those projects.

Among these initiatives has been the creation of a partnership with the primary care trust for delivery of adult social care and health services, and the setting up of urban regeneration company Opportunity Peterborough.

She is helping to turn Peterborough into a thriving location for industry in order to offer the best prospects and opportunities to its people.

Citation

"Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the citation for Gillian Beasley for the award of Honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

Gillian Beasley has spent her career working and excelling in various local government roles. She has helped to make a real difference to people and their lives. 

It is for services to local government that she was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours, 2008. 

For the past six years she has held the post of Chief Executive at Peterborough City Council where she is responsible for a budget of £160 million and over 5,500 employees. For ten years prior to moving to Peterborough, Gillian was with Cambridgeshire County Council and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.

Gillian, who began her career in local government as a trainee lawyer with Leeds City Council in 1983, serves on a number of regional and national government bodies. 

During her time at Peterborough, she has led major projects for the development and regeneration of the City and secured resources to support those projects. Among these initiatives has been the creation of a partnership with the primary care trust for delivery of adult social care and health services; and the setting up of urban regeneration company Opportunity Peterborough.

She was also elected Chair of the Chief Executives' Group of the Regional Improvement Partnership and was instrumental in setting up a Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership for the East.

She is helping to turn Peterborough into a thriving location for industry in order to offer the best prospects and opportunities to its people to include the provision of a higher education facility for Peterborough.

As many of you will know, Peterborough Regional College is currently working with Anglia Ruskin University to establish a University Centre in Peterborough.

To be one of the most powerful women in Peterborough is a major achievement and one that will encourage many young female graduates here today. As a major employer, Gillian reveals that she is pleased to know that barriers to women are gradually being removed. She supports flexible working as one means to help women juggle their family and work life. 

For her continuing efforts to raise the profile and personality of Peterborough, we at Anglia Ruskin would like to honour her with an award which also recognises her tremendous business achievements. Gillian, it therefore gives me great pleasure to invite the Vice Chancellor to confer upon you the degree of Honorary Doctor of Business Administration."