Our governance

The main decision-making, executive and managerial bodies in the Cabinet Office (CO).

Roles & Structure of our Boards and Committees.

Cabinet Office Board

The Cabinet Office Board provides the collective strategic and operational leadership of the Department, bringing together Cabinet Office Ministers, senior members of the Department’s executive leadership team with senior Non-Executives from outside government.

Ministerial Members

Executive Members

  • Cat Little, Permanent Secretary and Principal Accounting Officer
  • Sarah Harrison, Chief Operating Officer
  • Emma Churchill, Director General, Economic and Domestic Secretariat
  • Janet Hughes, Director General, Productive and Agile State
  • Caroline Patterson, Chief Finance Officer

Non-Executive Board Members

  • John Fallon, Lead Non-Executive Board Member
  • Maura Sullivan, Non Executive Board Member and COARC Chair
  • Lisa Tremble, Non-Executive Board Member
  • Greg Jackson, Non- Executive Board Member

Cabinet Office Audit & Risk Committee

The Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee (COARC) is a sub committee of the Board. Its role is to support the Board and Accounting Officer by providing an independent view of risk, control and governance arrangements in the department, including its executive agencies. The committee also reviews and makes recommendations on the approval of the accounts for the Cabinet Office, Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, Civil Superannuation and Royal Mail Statutory Pension Scheme.

Members

  • Maura Sullivan, Chair and Non-Executive Board Member
  • Joan Lewis, Independent Member
  • Sean Pearce, Independent Member

Nominations Committee

The CO board is supported by the Nominations Committee. It is responsible for ensuring there are satisfactory systems for identifying and developing leadership and high potential, scrutinising the incentive structure and succession planning for the board and the senior leadership of the department.

Executive Committee (ExCo)

ExCo is the senior executive leadership of the Cabinet Office. It monitors Departmental delivery and performance, communicates decisions taken by the Permanent Secretary and takes collective decisions on corporate issues affecting the Department.

Members

  • Catherine Little, Permanent Secretary and Principal Accounting Officer (Chair)
  • Caroline Patterson, Chief Financial Officer
  • Christina Duncan, Chief People Officer
  • Janet Hughes, Director General, Reform and Efficiency
  • Elinor McDaniell, CO Strategy Director
  • Ross Maude, Chief Digital Information Officer
  • Fiona Ryland, Government Chief People Officer 
  • Andrew Forzani, Government Chief Commercial Officer
  • Vincent Devine, Government Chief Security Office
  • Matt Collins, Deputy National Security Adviser
  • Steve Field, Director General, Europe in Global Affairs Group
  • Emma Churchill, Director General, Economic & Domestic Secretariat
  • Dan York-Smith, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, No.10
  • Kunal Patel, Deputy Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, No.10
  • Ellen Atkinson, Director General, Propriety, Ethics & Constitution Group

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee is a subcommittee of the Executive Committee. It reviews and approves investment proposals.

People & Operations Committee

People & Operations Committee is a sub-committee of ExCo and provides strategic oversight of the delivery of the Cabinet Office people strategy.

Resilience and Security Committee

The Resilience and Security Committee is a subcommittee of ExCo. Established in 2022, it will formulate overarching strategies to mitigate risk, deliver security improvements and oversee strategic information, physical, personnel and cyber security across the Department.

Annual Report and Accounts and Register of Board Members’ Interests

For more information about the Cabinet Office’s governance and the registers of Board Member’s interests, please click the link below.

Annual Report and Accounts and Register of Board Members’ Interests

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