Philip Rycroft CB

Member

Philip Rycroft was a civil servant for 30 years. He worked in the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) between March 2017 - March 2019, including as Permanent Secretary from October 2017. He was responsible for leading the department’s work to prepare the Government for Brexit.

Before this, he was head of the UK Governance Group in the Cabinet Office from June 2015 – March 2019, with responsibility for advising ministers on constitutional issues and devolution. From May 2012 - May 2015, he was the Director General in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.

Throughout his career, Philip has worked in a variety of other roles, including in the civil service in Scotland and London, in the European Commission, and in the private sector. He is now a non-executive director, academic and consultant.

"Whitehall has been subject to countless reform programmes. But the focus has been on inputs, with less attention paid to how Whitehall decisions affect people’s everyday lives. That needs to change.

Whitehall is simply too distant, literally and metaphorically, from the outcomes experienced by citizens. By shifting the focus to outcomes, this project can kickstart transformational innovation in how public services are run in this country."