Dame Helen Ghosh will leave her post as permanent secretary at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to take up the role when Sir David Normington retires at the end of the year.
In doing so, Dame Helen becomes the Home Office’s first female permanent secretary in its 228-year history.
Home Secretary Theresa May commented: “I’m delighted that Dame Helen Ghosh will be joining the Home Office as permanent secretary. She has a huge amount of experience in numerous departments across Whitehall and will, I’m sure, make an invaluable contribution to the department as we deliver the vital reforms that are already underway. I’m very much looking forward to working with her.”
Dame Helen has been permanent secretary at DEFRA since 2005 and, before that, gained extensive policy and management experience in the Department for Work and Pensions, Revenue and Customs and the Cabinet Office.
Supporting the Home Secretary
On her new role, Dame Helen explained: “I’m very much looking forward to supporting the Home Secretary as she takes forward her radical policy programme, and to building on Sir David Normington and his team’s terrific work over the past few years to ensure that the Home Office has the capability to deliver.”
In addition, she said: “I would also like to thank Sir David Normington for the years of hard work, dedication and leadership he has given to the Home Office, and I wish him well for the future.”
The Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell said: “I am delighted that Helen has been appointed as the new permanent secretary at the Home Office. She has an outstanding record of organisational leadership as permanent secretary at DEFRA, and from previous senior leadership roles at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Cabinet Office. Her appointment will ensure the Home Office is very capably led through the significant changes that lie ahead.”
O’Donnell also thanked Sir David Normington for his excellent leadership of the Home Office over recent years “and for his outstanding record of public service during a highly distinguished career.”
