David Holdsworth
Biography
David was appointed as Chief Executive of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on 24 April 2022.
Prior to joining APHA, David was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the UK Intellectual Property Office, an executive agency of UK Government responsible for intellectual property rights in the UK.
David was responsible for all of the IPO’s registered rights functions, patents, trade marks and designs, including the associated tribunal and mediation services. He also had responsibility for:
- policy concerning registered rights and unregistered designs
- leading the IPO’s Transformation Programme
- representing the UK globally at the World Intellectual Property Office ( WIPO an Agency of the UN), the European Patent Office ( EPO, a non EU organisation made up of 38 Member states) and on IP matters at the World Trade Organisation ( WTO)
Immediately prior to his role at the IPO David was Deputy CEO and Registrar of Charities for England and Wales at the Charity Commission.
David has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors at an executive leadership level. David spent over a decade at the Home Office in various roles including senior operational roles in the Immigration Service where he led several large UK wide transformation projects. He also held different policy roles in the Home Office and was Deputy Chief Caseworker.
David has also spent 5 years in the private sector in senior executive positions of Managing Director and Partnership Director at 2 different FTSE 100 companies. David is a fellow of the Institute of Directors and is immediate past Chairman of the Liverpool city region branch. David is also currently a non-remunerated Board Trustee of the Council of Deans of Health – the voice of UK university faculties for nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions.
Chief Executive
The Chief Executive is responsible for the delivery of the agency’s services and is the ‘accounting officer’ for the budget. He is also an executive member of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England.
Previous roles in government
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Deputy CEO and Director of Operational Delivery
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Deputy Chief Executive
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Chief Operating Officer