Rapson, who’s currently executive director of service planning and delivery at the IPS (a post which she has held these past two years), will take up the post on 15 July following the retirement of the current chief executive, James Hall.
The IPS is an executive agency of the Home Office and incorporates the General Register Office (GRO). It’s responsible for issuing passports and providing passport verification services. The GRO, meanwhile, issues certificates for births, deaths and marriages.
Speaking about her appointment, Ms Rapson commented: “I’m very happy to be taking on the role of chief executive. There are significant challenges ahead, but I’m confident that with the work James has already done to get us to this point, I will have a solid foundation on which to build.”
Rapson continued: “I now want to work with colleagues across the IPS to build upon our reputation for great customer service by transforming how we provide passport and civil registration services, improving our online passport application service, moving forward with our registration modernisation and continuing to provide citizens with a secure passport and a trusted and efficient registration service.”
The right CV for the role
Sarah Rapson joined the Home Office in 2005 as director of passport operations, and was responsible for seven regional offices and 69 interview offices across the UK.
She provided effective and highly visible leadership to a changing and geographically distributed workforce (both front and back office) and outsourced providers.
Following promotion to executive director of service planning and delivery, Rapson was then responsible for leading 2,600 service delivery staff to meet performance and customer service targets.
Prior to joining the Home Office, Rapson worked in various senior management roles within Woolwich plc, Barclays plc and at American Express. These large financial companies instilled in her an acute appreciation of the importance of the customer, and Rapson has continued to champion this customer focus in everything that the Identity and Passport Service does.
Rapson holds an MBA in strategy, change management and marketing from London Business School.
In an official Home Office press statement, James Hall stated: “I’m delighted that Sarah has been appointed. She will be a great leader for the IPS over the next few years.”
