Gay has worked in the field of management and leadership development for 40 years. She was Dean of Executive Education and CEO of Oxford Saïd Business School Ltd between 2006 and 2010. Earlier, at London Business School, she was Director of External Relations (2003 to 2006) and Associate Dean of Executive Education (1995 to 2001). Between 2001 and 2002, she was seconded to establish Executive Education at the inception of the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, a very exciting opportunity.  

Gay was the first woman to be appointed Director General of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and served for five years between 1990 and 1995. EFMD is a leading international network of worldwide organisations from business, business schools and the public sector involved in the continuous enhancement of management development worldwide. A key achievement during her tenure was the establishment of the now highly regarded China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai. While also working at EFMD between 1978 and 1985, Gay was instrumental in the establishment of the European Women’s Development Network (EWMD). She has an enduring interest in the development of women leaders and, in 2016 received EWMD’s annual “She made a difference” award.

Gay has also a long interest and involvement in the areas of global social responsibility and enterprise and entrepreneurship. When Associate Fellow of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and an Honorary Fellow of the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE), she was instrumental, together with Professor Allan Gibb of Durham University, in developing the Entrepreneurial University Leaders Programme as a programme specifically for University Leaders. This programme focussed on entrepreneurship, innovation and change in the Higher Education sector, and Gay co-authoring numerous articles on this topic. She was also a founder member of the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), a global network of businesses and business schools committed to transformative change for people, the planet and prosperity.

Gay has an MBA with distinction from, the Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada. Her early career was in teaching, particularly drama and she is a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, specialising in drama. She believes strongly that Leadership is an Art and has been interested in the application of the arts to management development throughout her career.

Gay has served on the Governing Body of London Business School, the Board of Oxford Saïd Business School Ltd. The Board of NCEE and the UK Armed Forces Pay Review Body. She is currently a member of the International Advisory Board of the Innovation Academy, University College Dublin and of the Societal Innovation and Enterprise Forum (SIEF), at St Aidan’s College, Durham University.