Leonie Mathers

Léonie is Deputy Director for Advocacy at the University of Nottingham, leading external stakeholder engagement, civic activity, political affairs and corporate events in support of the University's strategic aims. Through her time at the university, Léonie has focused on developing relationships between civic players across the city and region. From the groundbreaking ‘Nottingham in Parliament Day’ takeover of Parliament in 2016, which saw Léonie and the team win four CASE Circle of Excellence awards and PR Moment’s ‘Event of the Year’, to the University's mutual aid response during the pandemic, the team has led the redefinition of the university’s civic agenda and relationships. With the pioneering 'Universities for Nottingham' project and Civic Agreement, Léonie and the team are driving forward this key agenda and working closely with key anchor institutions to improve the way we work with each other for the benefit of our area. Prior to joining the university in 2016, Léonie spent several years working in the UK Parliament and the United States Congress, supporting both Government and Opposition politicians to build relationships with key stakeholders and develop policy.