Category champions
The Civil Service Awards Category Champions are proud supporters of the awards and promote their specific category to colleagues through networks across government and actively encourage nominations.
Our Category Champions select an expert panel to support them in reviewing the nominations before choosing the top entries within their category.
Peter Schofield - Category Champion for the Excellence in Delivery Award
A Skilled Civil Service
Peter became the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions on 16 January 2018. Prior to this, he has worked as Director General for Finance at DWP from July 2016 and as Director General for Housing and Planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Tricia Hayes CB - Category Champion for the Developing and Supporting People Award
A Skilled Civil Service
Tricia Hayes was appointed Second Permanent Secretary at the Home Office on 5 July 2021. Tricia’s specific responsibilities include leadership of the operational functions of the Home Office and its corporate capabilities.
She is also race champion for the Home Office. Previously Tricia was Director General for the Home Office’s Public Safety Group.
Dame Elizabeth Gardiner - Category Champion for the Diversity and Inclusion Award
A Skilled Civil Service
Elizabeth Gardiner took up the post of First Parliamentary Counsel and Permanent Secretary of the Government in Parliament Group in the Cabinet Office on 24 November 2015.
Elizabeth qualified as a solicitor in Scotland and then in England and Wales. She joined the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel as an Assistant Parliamentary Counsel in 1991, and has spent over 20 years as a legislative drafter working on a full range of legislative projects.
Sarah Healey - Category Champion for the Best use of Data and Technology Award
An Innovative Civil Service
Sarah Healey has been Permanent Secretary of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) since April 2019.
Prior to this, she worked in the Cabinet Office where she was the Director General overseeing the development and implementation of economic and domestic policy following two and a half years working on negotiations and preparations for the UK to leave the EU.
Sir Patrick Vallance - Category Champion for the Science and Innovation Award
An Innovative Civil Service
Sir Patrick Vallance FRS FMedSci FRCP is Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) and Head of the Government Science and Engineering (GSE) profession. His personal research was in the area of diseases of blood vessels and endothelial biology.
Patrick was President, R&D at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) from 2012 until 2017. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President, Medicines Discovery and Development. He joined the company in May 2006 as Head of Drug Discovery. He was a member of the GSK Board and the Corporate Executive Team. During his period as head of R&D over 14 new medicines were approved for use worldwide, for diseases ranging from cancer to asthma and HIV.
Sam Beckett - Category Champion for the Evaluation and Analysis Award
An Innovative Civil Service
Sam is Second Permanent Secretary and Deputy CEO of the UK Statistics Authority and Joint Head of the Government Economics Service, a role she shares with Clare Lombardelli, Chief Economist at HM Treasury. In assisting with the overall leadership of the Office for National Statistics, Sam has responsibility for Economic Statistics, People and Business Services, Communications and Security and Information Management.
Jim Harra - Category Champion for the Project Delivery Award
An Ambitious Civil Service
Jim began his career in the Inland Revenue as an Inspector of Taxes in 1984. In January 2009, he was appointed Director of Corporation Tax and VAT, responsible for optimising the design and delivery of these business taxes.
Jim became Director of Personal Tax Customer Operations in March 2011, and Director Personal Tax Operations in October 2011. He was appointed Director General Business Tax on 16 April 2012. Jim took up the post as HMRC’s Second Permanent Secretary and Deputy Chief Executive on 1 January 2018.
Jim was appointed as HMRC’s First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive in October 2019.
Madeleine Alessandri - Category Champion for the One Civil Service Award
An Ambitious Civil Service
Madeleine Alessandri is the Permanent Secretary for the Northern Ireland Office.
Previously she was the UK Deputy National Security Advisor and Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Resilience and Security. She joined government service in 1988 and has held a wide variety of positions in the Diplomatic Service and in National Security in the UK and overseas.
Simon Case - Co-Champion of the Cabinet Secretary’s Outstanding Leader Award
Simon Case was appointed Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service in September 2020.
He was previously Director General Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Simon Case was appointed as the Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary in January 2016. He is also the UK Sherpa for the G7 and the G20. Previously Simon was Director of Strategy at GCHQ. Simon joined the Civil Service in 2006.
Dame Shan Morgan - Co-Champion of the Cabinet Secretary’s Outstanding Leader Award
Shan was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2012 New Year Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in the 2017 Birthday Honours.
Shan took up post as Welsh Government Permanent Secretary in February 2017.
Sue Gray - Category Champion for the Rising Star Award
In May 2021 Sue returned to the Cabinet Office to take up the role of Second Permanent Secretary with responsibility for the Union and Constitution Directorate.
Prior to that from 2018 to 2021 Sue served as the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Finance, NI Executive on secondment from the Cabinet Office.
Sue first joined the Cabinet Office in the late 1990s.
Previous roles in government
Sue served as the Director General, Propriety and Ethics in the Cabinet Office from 2012 to 2018.
Alex Chisholm - Category Champion for the Programme of the Year Award
Alex Chisholm became Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office in April 2020. Prior to that he was the Permanent Secretary to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).