Aileen joined the Combined Authority in 2018 as Head of Evidence, Research and Intelligence and became Assistant Director of Policy and Strategic Commissioning in October 2019.
Before that, she was Deputy Director of the Heseltine Institute at the University of Liverpool and previously Head of UK Public Policy for HSBC in London, following 15 years working in public policy.
She has spilt her career between the public and private sectors, including three years in Parliament as a Committee Specialist, leading Select Committee inquiries on a wide range of issues including security, criminal justice, and community relations. Aileen spent several years working on financial services and consumer affairs at the Financial Services Authority, where she worked on a major consultation on financial advice and consumer rights and then at HSBC post financial crisis, where she reported to the UK Chief Executive on public policy and government affairs.
Aileen also spent time working on health policy at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and the General Medical Council where she was involved in a complex programme of reforms which changed the way doctors were regulated and patient rights were protected. She has a PhD in public policy.
In 2014, Aileen became a mum and following a period of maternity leave took a career break. She relocated from London to Merseyside with her husband and daughter. Aileen is Irish – from County Tyrone.
