Sir Ian Cheshire appointed as Government Lead Non-Executive

The Prime Minister has announced that Sir Ian Cheshire will become the government’s Lead Non-Executive, replacing Lord Browne who has held the post since it was established in 2010. Sir Ian has had a long and distinguished career in the private sector, most recently as Chief Executive of Kingfisher plc and was formerly the Lead Non-Executive Director of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Sir Ian will lead the government’s cadre of non-executives, drawn from a range of sectors including business and the voluntary sector. He will work closely with ministers, and in particular the Minister for the Cabinet Office, as well as the non-executives and senior officials. He will support the Civil Service Chief Executive to drive forward the government’s Efficiency and Reform and Civil Service Reform programmes, and to strengthen functional leadership across departments.

The non-executives were introduced to improve governance in Whitehall and sit on departmental boards which bring together ministers and senior officials. The non-executives have also helped bring a more strategic and commercial focus to departments, building stronger leadership and management skills, and helping to inject best practice from the private sector into government.

As part of his role, Sir Ian will meet with the lead non-executive board members from each department on a regular basis and ensure that the Prime Minister, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, and the Chief Executive of the Civil Service are kept updated on the views and recommendations of the non-executive community across government. He will also be a member of the Senior Leadership Committee, which ensures that the Civil Service has the right leadership capability to deliver the government’s current and future priorities.

Sir Ian will publish a candid annual report on the progress towards transforming governance across Whitehall and will also take up a position as a non-executive on the Cabinet Office Board.

About Sir Ian Cheshire

In December, Sir Ian retired as Group Chief Executive of Kingfisher plc after 7 years in the role and 17 with the company. He remains Senior Independent Director of Whitbread plc, Chairman of the Prince of Wales Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, President of the Business Disability Forum and Chair of the advisory board of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Former roles include Chairman of the British Retail Consortium and Lead Non-Executive for the Department of Work and Pensions.