Dame Penny is a Senior Advisor to BOKA with extensive Cabinet-level experience in defence and national security leadership. She served as the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence, following earlier roles as Minister of State for the Armed Forces, and later as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council. As Paymaster General she led the UK’s civil contingencies team and was the first cross-Government defensive cyber lead. As Secretary of State for International Development and the UK’s Governor at the World Bank, she focussed on the use of technology to prevent conflict and assist humanitarian missions. Her career provides deep insight into defence procurement, force readiness, and the interaction between government policy and industry delivery. At BOKA, Dame Penny provides strategic insight into defence policy, institutional decision-making, and capability adoption, supporting portfolio companies and investors in navigating government priorities around the world, procurement environments, and allied security requirements. She was an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve for 10 years and then an Honorary Officer for a further 6 years, affiliated to MCM2 Squadron.