Polly Payne
Biography
Polly Payne and Ruth Hannant became Directors General for Policy at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as a job-share in July 2023, adding a number of responsibilities to their previous role as Directors General for Culture, Sport, and Civil Society, held since joining DCMS in March 2021. From 7 February 2023 to 10 July 2023, Ruth and Polly served as Interim Permanent Secretaries at DCMS.
They are responsible for media, advertising and publishing, arts, creative industries, heritage, museums, cultural diplomacy, tourism and the visitor economy, the Government Art Collection, the National Archives, gambling, lotteries, sport, civil society, volunteering and tackling loneliness and youth (outside of education).
Prior to DCMS, Ruth and Polly have job shared for over 14 years as:
- Directors General for Rail Group at the Department for Transport (DfT)
- Directors of Higher Education and Higher Education Reform at the Department for Education (DfE) and previously the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
- Directors for Strategy and Growth at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Ruth and Polly moved to BIS from HM Treasury where they led the Corporate Finance, Business, Innovation and Skills team.
Before job-sharing with Ruth, Polly worked in HM Treasury for over a decade in a variety of economic and policy roles. Polly previously worked at the University of Sussex, in Mongolia for the Asian Development Bank, and in Zanzibar as part of the Overseas Development Institute fellowship programme.