Theresa Villiers

In her 25 years in elected office, she served at the highest level of government in some of the toughest jobs - a member of three governments, under two Prime Ministers, holding portfolios including Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Northern Ireland, Transport, and Treasury.

She has given speeches and presentations in a wide range of fora, including the Cabinet; the National Security Council; the despatch box in Parliament; embassies and consulates; banks, business conferences & chambers of commerce; schools, colleges & universities; trade associations; thinktanks; churches, temples, synagogues & community groups; and farming & environmental events. These have taken place in locations right around the UK and also in Brussels, Strasbourg, Washington, New York, and Dublin.

Theresa was appointed to David Cameron’s Shadow Cabinet in 2005 just seven months after being elected to the House of Commons, one of the fastest promotions ever. As Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury until 2007, she was George Osborne’s deputy. In 2010, she became Minister of State for Transport in the Coalition Government, with strategic oversight of large complex projects such as Crossrail (the Elizabeth Line), the Thameslink upgrade, and delivery the transport operation for the London 2012 Olympics.

Between 2012 and 2016, Theresa sat at the Cabinet table as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, only the 35th woman ever appointed to the Cabinet. This role involved overseeing highly sensitive security and counter-terrorism matters. As one of the longest serving Northern Ireland Secretaries, she led lengthy and difficult processes of negotiation, including chairing two sets of protracted cross-party talks to twice avert the collapse of the devolved bodies set up under the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. 

She is adept at dealing with complex and volatile situations, conflict resolution and crisis management, having handled the response to the 2013 Northern Ireland flag protests and the political crisis of 2015 caused by the continued activities of paramilitary groups. The speeches she made as Secretary of State on issues such as flags, policing, and addressing the legacy of the Northern Ireland’s past formed a key part of her strategy as Secretary of State.

In 2019, Theresa was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, leading the Brexit preparations on trade and border arrangements for food, covering delivery of multiple new statutory instruments, certification requirements, IT systems, databases, and inspection regimes.

In that role, she was accountable for 27,000 staff and an £8.2 billion budget. She presented three landmark new laws to Parliament: the Fisheries Act, restoring domestic control over UK fishing waters; the Agriculture Act, replacing the Common Agricultural Policy with new environmental land management schemes; and the Environment Act, creating binding targets on nature recovery and other environmental issues. Protecting nature and the environment was an enduring goal of her time in Parliament.

From 2020 to 2024, Theresa was a member of the influential Intelligence and Security Committee, with oversight of the intelligence agencies, producing reports using highly classified information on issues such as China.

Over the years she gained extensive policymaking expertise, leading technical legislative and scrutiny processes for MIFID in the European Parliament and Finance Bills 2006 and 2007 in the House of Commons. In 2021, she served as one of three members of the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform, making recommendations on modernising regulation in areas such as GDPR, Solvency II, MIFID II and clinical trials and health technology.

An excellent communicator, Theresa has regularly featured in national press and on broadcast media over many years. She has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, advocating on behalf of diverse communities in her former role as MP, ensuring their concerns were heard in Parliament. That includes making powerful contributions to  the historic debates on antisemitism which took place in Parliament in 2018 and 2019.

Testimonials

“We have had the pleasure of working with Theresa for many years. As well as a being a highly respected and well connected politician, with extensive Ministerial experience, she has the ability to engage with an audience to provide both interesting and informative insights into the workings of Government, and the impact on business and communities. I would highly recommend Theresa as someone who can add valuable content to any event or session.” 

Managing Director of Davies Tanner and founder of The Business of Events Thinktank and Advocacy Network

“Theresa has spoken at many events for the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK and the Cypriot community. She is a great speaker who gives well-informed, thoughtful and sincere speeches. She connects well with audiences and takes time to speak to people individually. We always welcome her contributions to our events.”

President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK.

"Theresa is an inspirational speaker. She has delivered compelling speeches for us on gender equality, condemning the systemic oppression of women under the Iranian regime and affirming the role of women as leaders in democratic change. Her powerful message of solidarity has been an inspiration to women protesting against the regime in Iran. Theresa gets her points across strongly and clearly." 

UK Office of the National Council for Resistance in Iran.

“I’ve had the privilege of hearing Theresa Villiers speak on a number of occasions, including at events I have hosted, and it’s always a compelling experience. As a long-standing MP and former Cabinet Minister, her depth of knowledge and insight into public life is remarkable. Whether she’s addressing a formal audience or contributing to a panel discussion, she speaks with clarity, integrity, and a refreshing honesty. Her experience across government and politics makes her contributions not only informative but deeply engaging for anyone interested in the workings of political life and public service.”

Keith Fraser, author and podcaster