The worst part of my job…

Is all the suffering I’ve seen as a result of conflict. My field of work can be tough.

The best part of my job…

Is mentoring women at university who want to break into the field. I want to see more women working in politics and security.

After work…

My husband makes dinner: he’s the cook in the family. I used to do a spin class after work but now I exercise at the weekends when I have more time.

Later we’ll watch something like MasterChef or maybe Homeland – people always say I’m like Carrie Mathison but I don’t think I am! After taking off my make-up, I’m ready for bed at 10pm

My plan B: Writer and artist

As a kid I was arty – I loved painting and sketching. Then in my teens I wrote a weekly travel column for my local newspaper. In an ideal world, I’d combine the two and have a studio at home where I could write and paint with no distractions.

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What it’s like to be a counter terrorism and security expert