People and Culture – Organisation of the Future | ONLINE

23 October 2025

11:00–12:30

ONLINE

Building and nurturing sustainable, high performing and well controlled organisations is a key consideration for those in key leadership and governance roles in public service bodies. With this, an organisation’s heartbeat is shaped by its culture, an area rightly given increased prominence and attention in governance discourse. Culture requires time, reflection and attention. And the cultural needs of an organisation today may differ somewhat to its needs in 2030 and beyond, as technology for example continues to influence ways of working.

Central to culture is people. And public service bodies, like entities in other sectors, are noting risks associated with attracting and retaining people. The importance of people and their skills and experience is reflected in the Workforce of the Future pillar in Better Public Services – Public Service Transformation 2030 Strategy. Key considerations include ensuring that the public service has the skills it needs for the future (including upskilling and reskilling) and establishes itself as an employer of choice.

With the help of our highly experienced senior practitioners, this event will explore:

Our speaker panel comprises:

Shirley Comerford,
Assistant Secretary (Public Service Workforce Division), Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation

Stephanie Wheeler,
Change Associates, London

Georgina McElwee,
Governance, Leadership and Management Specialist, IPA

Speakers

Stephanie Wheeler

Stephanie Wheeler is an experienced consultant specialising in culture and change management. She has a proven track record of effectively conducting culture reviews across various sectors, including fire services, police, professional services, financial services, and media organisations. With her extensive experience as a facilitator, leadership mentor, and trusted advisor, Stephanie excels in swiftly building trust and rapport. She is skilled in addressing difficult truths with sensitivity and managing dysfunction with care. Her pragmatic and solution-focused approach, combined with a keen eye for detail, allows her to collaborate effectively with senior executives and their teams. Stephanie's expertise lies in understanding the existing culture and developing practical solutions that drive lasting change.

Georgie McElwee

Georgie is a Governance and Leadership Specialist with the IPA’s Professional Development Team. An experienced Management Consultant, Georgie has a strong track record across the consumer goods, financial and education sectors. Her previous experience as a consultant enabled Georgina to gain considerable knowledge of the public sector and led to her involvement in the development of a high-profile training school for senior management teams. She has a proven record of accomplishment as a learning design specialist, facilitator and coach with extensive experience in strategic direction, stakeholder engagement, governance and Leadership.

Georgie works on the IPA’s Governance Team in Professional Development, offering advisory services to Public Sector Clients in several areas such as Governance Codes, Board Reviews and Risk Management. She frequently delivers on a number of the IPA’s courses in the area of Corporate Governance and plays an active role in the Governance Forum and its annual development.