Heather Rabbatts

Dame Heather Victoria Rabbatts, DBE (born 6 December 1955) is a British solicitor, businesswoman, and broadcaster, who rose to prominence as Chief Executive of the London Borough of Lambeth, the youngest council chief in the UK. Born in Jamaica, she moved to the UK at the age of three.

Rabbatts was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1955 and moved to England, when she was three years old. She left school with five O-levels and attended evening classes to study for A-levels. She attended the London School of Economics and became a barrister in 1981.

From 1987, she worked in local government, becoming Deputy Chief Executive of Hammersmith and Fulham in 1989. She became Chief Executive of Merton before being appointed to the post of Chief Executive of Lambeth in 1995.

There were significant improvements in housing, education, and council tax collection. She made her name as the youngest council chief in the country. On leaving Lambeth, in March 2000, Rabbatts became Chief Executive of iMPOWER, a public sector consultancy, which she both founded and was co-chair.

Rabbatts was a Governor of the BBC from 1999 to 2001, but resigned upon her appointment to Channel 4 where she was Managing Director of Channel 4’s education programmes and business, 4Learning. She is a Governor at the London School of Economics, an Associate of The King's Fund and on the board of directors at the British Council.

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