Chair

Julie Kenny CBE, DL

Biography

Julie Kenny, CBE DL has been appointed by the Secretaries of State for Education and Work and Pensions as the new interim Chair of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. An existing Commissioner of the organisation, Julie Kenny will be responsible for overseeing the closure of UKCES. She takes over from Sir Charlie Mayfield, who was in post since 2010.

Julie is a successful South Yorkshire based entrepreneur and has, for over twenty years, served the business and wider communities. Julie chairs or is a member of a diverse range of local and regional organisations and is a Board Member of the Sheffield City Region LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership), Creative Sheffield and Sheffield Theatres Trust. Julie has been appointed by government as a Commissioner to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council as part of the intervention which received much media interest. Julie has also served as a Deputy Lieutenant for South Yorkshire since 2005 and High Sheriff of South Yorkshire 2012/13. She was awarded a CBE for in 2002 for her services to industry in Yorkshire and Humberside.. Julie was the Vitalise Businesswoman of the Year in 2013 and Private Businesswoman of the Year 2014.