Episode 15 - In conversation with Dr Deborah Benson

The Global Leadership Hypothesis. What makes a great leader?

Meet Deborah, a trailblazing business leader with a career spanning advertising, marketing, construction, property, and consultancy. She began her career in London and gained an MBA before moving to Scotland. She became the first and youngest female director to be appointed at the Miller Group, a large Scottish construction company.

Deborah's impressive career continued as she rose through the ranks at Miller Group, first as national marketing director for the Miller homes division and then as regional managing director of partnership and mainstream housing businesses, negotiating single contracts with values of up to £38m. She was then headhunted to lead Wilcon Homes as MD for Scotland, becoming the first female MD of a large-scale construction company in Scotland.

After running her own property and consultancy businesses, Deborah returned to academia, earning a Doctorate in Business specializing in leadership. She established her leadership research with classic leadership theory, underpinned by her wide business experience. Deborah has over 20 years of experience as both an executive and non-executive director in the commercial, public, and voluntary sectors, including recent board appointments with the EDI Group, Scottish Canals, and Edinburgh Women's Aid.

As a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and a member of the Scottish Environmental Technology Network, Deborah is a respected authority on leadership. She regularly speaks at conferences and events and guest lectures at university business schools in Scotland and Germany.