Pam Sidhu
trailblazers
Strategy manager
Department for Education | Europe
Pam Sidhu is an aspiring future leader who is “constantly striving to break class ceilings”. In a nomination that stood out to the judges, someone who works with Pam described how she stepped into a new organisation and role in the past 12 months, when she joined Brightside Trust as a board member and trustee.
It said: “In terms of demographics, she is probably half the age of her predecessors and is at an earlier stage in her professional career than most of the staff in the organisation she now has responsibility for as a trustee.” But she has “thrown herself into this work with energy, enquiry and empathy” and has built rapid relationships of respect and trust, it added.
“She has inspired me to continue to bring into senior roles people who may, under many circumstances, be deemed too early in their career to be able to undertake them”.
Pam is a strategy manager within the Department for Education’s Strategy Group, having previously led strategy advisory at the British Council. In her career to date, she has consistently been a proactive role model and mentor for numerous women, especially those from under-represented backgrounds.
Another nominee said: “Pam is an unsung hero – having consistently had a profound impact in the education sector from a very young age driven by her passion, expertise and lived experience. Although she is still relatively in her ‘early career’, she is unafraid of using her platform where possible to push for meaningful change on a day-to-day basis. She is definitely one woman to watch in 2022.”
Pam is described as an open and honest manager who uses her personal experiences to empower others. “Pam’s commitment to promote diversity, empower others and drive change is truly inspirational and her work has already had a significant impact on solving the many complex problems facing the education sector,” a peer said.
