Linda Linehan is a Principal Consultant with Astar Management Consultants, and Managing Director of Abbeville Associates Ltd. She offers strategic, consultancy, and development support to the public and private sectors on a range of HR, organisational change and diversity issues. Recent assignments have included equalities impact assessment training, equality and diversity awareness workshops, leadership development, executive coaching and practical guidance and toolkits for delivering equality outcomes and supporting organisational change.

Prior to consultancy, as Head of Equality and Diversity at the Department for Transport Local Government and the Regions (DTLR), Linda led and directed a number of successful programmes, including: a major review of compliance with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000; a "first of its kind" Departmental Open Day attended by the Minister, the Permanent Secretary, and members of the Board, successfully promoting the work of the department to a diverse audience from a large number of wide-ranging stakeholder organisations; and diversity training to 4000 staff. DTLR gained a Platinum award in the Race for Opportunity benchmarking and a Gold award from Opportunity Now, and was placed in the top 5 organisations in the public sector.

Linda has a BSc (Hons) in Social Science and Public Administration, and a post-graduate Diploma in Management Studies. She is preparing a portfolio of evidence for Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. A founder member of a national group managing a positive action programme to attract more black and minority ethnic planners into the planning profession, Linda is a member of a number of women in leadership networks. During 2004-2005 Linda was Director of the Premier Chapter of Business Network International, and currently has the role of Education Co-ordinator. She has recently been accepted as a tutor for the Institute of Director's accredited Diploma programme for company Directors, "People Mean Business".