The Prime Minister has announced the appointment of Sir Chris Wormald as the new Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, succeeding Simon Case C.V.O. The decision follows an
external competition overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner.
Sir Chris Wormald, who currently serves as the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care, will assume his new role on December 16. He takes over from Simon Case, who announced in September that he would be stepping down after serving as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service since September 2020.
In his new position, Sir Chris will lead the delivery of the Government’s ambitious agenda, including advancing its five key missions. He will oversee and manage Permanent Secretaries across Government departments, championing innovation, driving reform, and implementing change. Additionally, as the most senior official adviser to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Sir Chris will play a pivotal role in shaping policy and ensuring its effective execution.
The Prime Minister said:
“I want to thank Simon for his service to our country and for the invaluable support he has given to me personally during my first months as Prime Minister. He has been a remarkable public servant over many years, and our best wishes go to him and his family as he now takes time to focus on his health.
I am delighted that Chris Wormald has agreed to become the next Cabinet Secretary. He brings a wealth of experience to this role at a critical moment in the work of change this new government has begun.
To change this country, we must change the way government serves this country. That is what Mission-led government will do. From breaking down silos across government to harnessing the incredible potential of technology and innovation, it will require nothing less than the complete re-wiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reform.
Delivering this scale of change will require exceptional civil service leadership. There could be no-one better placed to drive forward our Plan For Change than Chris, and I look forward to working with him as we fulfil the mandate of this new government, improving the lives of working people and strengthening our country with a decade of national renewal”.
Commenting on his appointment, Sir Chris said:
“I am delighted that the Prime Minister has appointed me to the privileged role of leading our talented Civil Service, as we rise to the challenge of delivering the Government’s focused agenda to deliver its Plan for Change.
The Government has set a clear mandate – an ambitious agenda with working people at its heart. That will require each and every one of us to embrace the change agenda in how the British state operates.
So I look forward to working with leaders across Government, to ensure that the Civil Service has the skills they need to deliver across the breadth of the country”.
Sir Chris will take up his new post on 16 December. Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.