The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Foreign Secretary
and the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of as the new Permanent
Under-Secretary (PUS), at the Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office (FCDO).
Lindy is currently the British High Commissioner to the Republic
of India. She has previously been the CEO of the National Cyber
Security Centre and has held senior roles in the Northern Ireland
Office and the Department for International Development.
The Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon MP, said:
I am delighted that has been appointed as
Permanent Under Secretary of the FCDO. Lindy brings enormous
experience across the fields of diplomacy, development and
national security, and a reputation for dynamic leadership in
postings across the world, most recently as High Commissioner in
India.
Lindy will lead an FCDO committed to promoting British values and
interests by deploying the full talents of our amazing, dedicated
and renowned staff, who it has been my privilege to get to know
over the past couple of months.
I am especially pleased to welcome Lindy as the first female
Permanent Under Secretary at the FCDO.
I'd also like to put on record my profound thanks to for doing a brilliant job as
Interim PUS.
Cabinet Secretary, Dame , said:
I am delighted to announce Lindy's appointment as Permanent
Under-Secretary for the FCDO. Lindy's excellent track record in
security and diplomacy, combined with her considerable experience
in international development, makes her a great appointment to
lead the FCDO to deliver its crucial diplomatic,
development and national security priorities.
I would also like to thank for his dedicated leadership of
the department in the interim period.
said:
Having served at home and abroad with both DFID and FCO since
joining the Civil Service in 1998, I couldn't be prouder to have
the opportunity to lead our amazing diplomats and development
professionals as Permanent Secretary of the FCDO.
I've seen first hand what a difference we can make to every
corner of the UK delivering growth, security and opportunity, as
we have done in partnership with India during my time here as
High Commissioner. I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved in
India and I will be sad to leave, but I can't wait to get started
on this new challenge.
The appointment follows an external recruitment exercise chaired
by the independent First Civil Service Commissioner.
Arrangements for appointing Lindy's successor as High
Commissioner to the Republic of India will be announced in due
course.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- This is a Permanent Secretary level appointment, offered on a
fixed tenure basis for five years.
-
CB OBE has been British
High Commissioner to the Republic of India since April 2024.
- Previously, Lindy was CEO of the UK's National Cyber Security
Centre (2020-2024), following more than two decades of
international development and national security policy and crisis
management. Before that she served as Director-General in the
Northern Ireland Office (2019-2020) and as Director General
Country Programmes at the Department for International
Development (2016-2019).
- Lindy is from Northern Ireland. After starting her
career in the private sector, she joined the Department for
International Development (DFID) in 1998, working as an adviser
in Nigeria, Vietnam and the Balkans, before moving on to run
DFID's offices in Baghdad and Kabul. She led DFID humanitarian,
conflict and Middle East policy after the Arab Spring. She
has worked across government: for the Cabinet Office during the
financial crisis; for the Foreign Office as the Head of the
Provincial Reconstruction team in Helmand, Afghanistan; with the
Ministry of Defence on their senior staff courses, and as head of
the joint cross-government Stabilisation Unit.
- Lindy will remain High Commissioner to India until 19
October.
