The Cabinet Secretary , with the agreement
of the Prime Minister, has today announced the appointment
of Alex Chisholm as the new Permanent Secretary at the
Cabinet Office and Chief Operating Officer for the Civil
Service.
Alex will succeed Sir John Manzoni, whose departure from
the Civil Service has been long-planned but who has agreed
to stay on to support the Government’s response to
coronavirus over the next few months.
Alex is currently serving as Permanent Secretary at the
Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy,
and was previously Chief Executive of the Competition &
Markets Authority.
The Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for
the Cabinet Office said:
I am delighted Alex has been chosen as the Cabinet
Office’s new Permanent Secretary, and Chief Operating
Officer for the Civil Service. He is an outstanding
public servant who has also had a successful career in
business and regulation. I look forward to working with
him.
In the medium term, much of Alex’s work will necessarily
be coronavirus response related. But Alex will be
responsible for supporting ministers to develop and then
drive forward a reform programme for the Civil Service,
building on the Government’s existing efficiency
programme. He will also supervise all the Cabinet
Office’s various work programmes including on preparing
for the end of the transition period, strengthening the
union, and defending our democracy.
I want to add my thanks to Sir John Manzoni for his
service. Over the last few years, the cross-departmental
functional governance programme has become embedded as
part of Whitehall’s machinery, leading to significant
savings for the public purse and improved performance. I
wish Sir John all the very best for the future.
Welcoming Alex’s appointment, the Cabinet Secretary and
Head of the Civil Service, , said:
I have asked Alex to lead the ongoing transformation of
the Civil Service to further enhance its efficiency,
effectiveness and agility, creating the high-performance,
innovative and digitally powered service we need for the
times we are in. He will also bring proven leadership
skills to help guide and support the 7,000 talented staff
who work across the Cabinet Office and its Arm’s Length
Bodies.
I would also like to place on record my sincere thanks
and appreciation for all that my colleague Sir John
Manzoni has accomplished over the last five years in the
role. This includes his leadership on Civil Service
modernisation, in particular embedding our functional
approach and improving our digital and commercial
capability, which has been a significant contribution to
effective government. I wish him well in the next phase
of his career.
Commenting on his appointment, Alex Chisholm said:
I am truly thrilled to be asked to lead the Cabinet
Office and Civil Service reform at this time. The present
emergency is a powerful reminder of how important the
work of Government is to the whole country.
I look forward to working with Ministers, colleagues in
the Cabinet Office, Permanent Secretaries across
government and public service leaders, to deliver for the
government and the public together.
Sir John Manzoni, who has been CEO of the Civil Service
since 2014, said:
I wish Alex every success in his new roles. He will
benefit from the fact - as I have done - that the UK
Civil Service is truly world-class, with brilliantly
talented people at every level of the organisation.
It has been a privilege to work alongside so many of them
in the Cabinet Office and beyond. Civil servants do
extraordinary things every day to serve and support their
fellow citizens. We are seeing this demonstrated more
than ever as we manage the coronavirus pandemic.
