Matthew Rycroft CBE appointed Permanent Secretary at Home Office

Above: Matthew Rycroft CBE.
Courtesy Home Office

Matthew will move from his current role as the Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development.

The appointment has been made by the Cabinet Secretary with the approval of the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary.

Matthew will succeed Sir Philip Rutnam, who resigned last month.

He said: "I am delighted to have been asked to become the new Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.

"The Home Office has a hugely important agenda with responsibility to keep our citizens safe and the country secure. I look forward to working with all Home Office staff to support Ministers at this crucial time for our country. At the same time I am sorry to say goodbye to my DFID colleagues and wish them well for the future."

Commenting on Matthew Rycroft’s appointment, the Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "I am delighted to announce Matthew Rycroft’s appointment as Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. Matthew brings a wealth of leadership experience and a strong understanding of the security challenges we face. I very much look forward look to working alongside Matthew as we deliver the people’s priorities.

"I would also like to thank Shona Dunn for her professionalism and service to the department and I look forward to continuing to work with her as Second Permanent Secretary."

Sir Mark Sedwill, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, said: "Matthew is an exceptional public servant who embodies the very best that the Civil Service has to offer. With extensive experience in the diplomatic service and a strong record of delivering HMG priorities, he will provide inspirational leadership to the Home Office at an important time.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Shona Dunn, on behalf of the whole Civil Service, for her outstanding leadership and commitment during this interim period."

The role of Acting Permanent Secretary at DFID will be filled by Nick Dyer, who is the serving Director General Economic Development and International in DfID. Plans to recruit on a permanent basis will be announced in due course.

Matthew Rycroft was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of DfID in January 2018. Before that he was the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations from April 2015 to January 2018. From March 2011, Matthew was the FCO’s Chief Operating Officer. In that role he oversaw the running of the FCO and its network of 270 posts around the world, including all the Human Resources, Finance, Estates, Security, Information Technology, Protocol, Procurement and Corporate Services.