Neelam Bhardwaja: Chair - Foundation Governor

To contact the Chair of Governors, please email NBhardwaja@jlg.odbst.org 

I was the first Asian woman in the U.K. to be appointed to the post of Corporate Director responsible for Education, Adults and Children's Social Services.

I have a wide-ranging experience of inspirational leadership in relation to all aspects of the local government services, having worked at Assistant and Director levels.

I have a proven track record of improving all aspects of children’s social care and education services to achieve positive inspection outcomes.

In my various roles, I have worked as a part of the corporate management boards and have headed various transformation projects covering a large number of council services as well as across local partnerships.

In collaboration with the public health director and a wide range of local statutory and voluntary organizations, I headed Cardiff Council's successful bid to become a World Health Organization's Healthy City. This enabled me to work with colleagues across a number of European countries facing similar public health-related challenges.

I have written extensively about the challenges faced by black managers, glass ceiling and qualities needed to successfully face these challenges. I am adept at public speaking, chairing conferences and doing live radio and television interviews.

I have informally coached and mentored a number of managers, some of whom contacted me having read about me in the media.

I am very committed to encouraging and empowering women who are by and large still do not feature in the higher echelons of the organisations.

Good educational achievement has always been my particular passion as I moved from India aged thirteen years without speaking any English and without the benefit of education, could have easily missed out on good life chances.