Emma Palmer
Chief Execuive, Powys County Council, Wales
Emma Palmer is the Chief Executive of Powys County Council, providing strategic leadership across one of the largest and most complex rural authorities in Wales.
Emma joined the council in 1999 and has built her career from the ground up. She spent over 20 years in Social Services, developing a deep understanding of frontline delivery, safeguarding and system leadership, before moving into senior corporate roles across Education, Housing, Transport, Strategy, Performance and Transformation.
Her career progression reflects both depth and breadth. Emma has held a range of senior leadership posts including Head of Strategic Policy and Performance, Head of Transformation and Communications, and Head of Strategy, Performance and Transformation Programmes, before progressing to Corporate Director and, ultimately, Chief Executive.
Emma is recognised for her focus on outcomes, governance and improvement, particularly in challenging regulatory and financial environments. She has led major transformation programmes, strengthened performance discipline, and worked closely with elected members, regulators and national partners to drive improvement and restore organisational confidence.
Alongside her public service career, Emma is a working mum and a business partner in successful rural enterprises, including CCM Agri & Livery and CCM Valais Blacknose. Balancing senior leadership with family life and business responsibilities has shaped her approach to leadership; pragmatic, values‑led and grounded in real‑world decision‑making.
Emma is a strong advocate of coaching and mentoring, is particularly interested in helping aspiring leaders navigate the transition from functional expertise to system leadership, manage complexity, and lead with clarity under pressure.
Emma brings a practical perspective to mentoring. She believes leadership is learned through experience, reflection and honest conversation, not theory alone. Her focus is on helping future leaders lead well, act with integrity, and deliver tangible improvement for the communities they serve.
10:00–11:00
Main Plenary
Women across local government are challenging long standing norms, reshaping organisational cultures, and redefining what leadership looks like. This panel brings together three senior female leaders to explore both the systemic barriers that still shape career progression and the powerful role authenticity plays in overcoming them. Through candid reflections on navigating political challenge, leading through complexity, and building confidence in spaces not designed with them in mind, panellists will share practical strategies and personal insights. The session will examine how allyship, inclusive cultures, and values driven leadership can create genuinely equitable pathways - and what it will take to ensure more women can lead boldly and authentically across the sector.
