Melinda has more than 30 years of commercial leadership experience across the public and private sectors. She retired from executive life in the Senior Civil Service in November 2025 and embarked on a portfolio career in 2026. 

Most recently, Melinda served as Chief Operating Officer at Ofgem a Director General position in the civil service. In this role, she was responsible for improving the corporate services that support Ofgem’s day-to-day regulatory and scheme delivery activities and for leading the transformation of the organisation into a dynamic, inclusive and high-performing workplace with a strong reputation as an employer of choice. Prior to joining Ofgem, Melinda was Commercial Director at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Group Commercial Services Director at the Department for Transport (DfT), and Deputy Finance and Commercial Director at the Department for Education.

Melinda is a passionate advocate for the Places for Growth agenda, particularly its contribution to social mobility. She championed the DfT’s Hastings office for five years, established the Government Commercial Northern Hub, and served as a Head of Place in the Midlands for 14 months before relocating to Glasgow to play a leadership role in the creation of the Cabinet Office 2nd Headquarters. 

Melinda is a Fellow and Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) and a Chartered Procurement Professional. She holds an MBA, a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, a postgraduate qualification in Marketing and Communications, as well as The Institute of Leadership and Management’s Level 7 in executive coaching and mentoring. She has been a Non Executive in various organisations including the British Quality Foundation and Global Standards UK, and has recently become Chair of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture and a trustee of Arthur Ellis Mental Health Trust.