Serena Kennedy KPM

Serena Kennedy was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for Merseyside in 2025.

Serena grew up in West Lancashire attending Ormskirk Grammar School and following her degree in Applied Biology at the University of Hull she joined Greater Manchester Police in 1993.

Serena graduated from the University of Cambridge as a Master of Studies in Police Leadership and Criminology in 2017.

She has dedicated over 32 years to public service, across Greater Manchester Police, Cheshire Constabulary and finally, Merseyside Police.  Her career has been shaped by leadership, community engagement, and a commitment to making a positive impact.

In April 2021 she was appointed as the first female Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. For 4.5 years she has led one of England’s largest metropolitan forces, overseeing a workforce of 6,500 officers, staff, and volunteers while ensuring the delivery of effective policing and public safety.

Serena has led the force through a number of high-profile incidents, major investigations, and large-scale public events including the terrorist incident outside the Liverpool Woman’s Hospital, the murder of 9 year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel and the terrible events that took place on Hart Street on the 29^th July 2024 including the murder of three little girls.

Serena always focused on building trust and delivering the best possible service to communities. She has worked closely with national and local partners on crime prevention, community outreach, and wellbeing initiatives, ensuring policing remains responsive to the needs of the public.

Outside of Merseyside Police Serena has been the National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair for Prevention, and lead for the Criminal Use of Drones and Response Policing.

She was awarded KPM in the King’s birthday honours in June 2023.

Beyond policing, Serena remains actively engaged in charitable and advisory work. She is an ambassador for Everton in the Community, supporting programmes that use sport to create social change. She serves as a trustee on the board of Local Solutions, an organisation dedicated to supporting vulnerable people and is a patron of the Doyle-Philips charity, which supports the families of officers and staff who have died in service. She is also a member of the advisory board for Liverpool Football Club Foundation, contributing her experience to broader discussions on community engagement, wellbeing and resilience through the power of sport.

Serena is passionate about mentoring and developing future leaders, offering guidance to those navigating careers in public service.

On retirement from policing in September 2025, Serena will focus on applying her expertise in strategic risk management, leadership development, and policy execution within the public and private sectors. Passionate about prevention, transformation, and reform, she remains committed to working with senior leaders and policymakers to enhance operational resilience, drive systemic improvements, and build high-performing organisations.

Serena is married with 2 daughters, a stepson, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren.