Heather Baily QPM
Biography
Heather was appointed as Chair of the SIA on 7 June 2021.
Career
Heather has spent the majority of her professional career in policing, initially with the Metropolitan Police Service and later with Hertfordshire Constabulary where she served as an assistant chief constable with responsibility for major crime, counter-terrorism and safeguarding. She was the East of England lead for serious and organised crime and led the Constabulary’s response to collaboration with Bedfordshire and later Cambridgeshire police services. As Deputy Chief Constable, she continued to lead on wider collaboration in addition to corporate and legal services and HR.
On leaving policing, Heather took up a role with the Garda Inspectorate in Ireland, inspecting policing services. Since then, she has held posts as a board member with the National Crime Agency and Police Remuneration Review Body and as a non-executive director with the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland.
Heather was a non-executive director and Deputy Chair of Dorset Healthcare University NHS Trust.
Chair, SIA
The SIA Chair is responsible for leading the Board in carrying out its responsibilities to deliver ministerial expectations and the strategic objectives of the SIA. As such, the SIA Chair is generally responsible to the Home Secretary for the governance and performance of the SIA.