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 is the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions. His panel consists of;
- Junior Johnson, Head of Prison Scrutiny, Performance and Engagement, Ministry of Justice – SCS Race Champion
- Diane Mills, Change Delivery Leader, Department for Work and Pensions
- Juliet Mountford, Head of Operational Delivery Profession Team, HM Revenue and Customs
- Paul Roberts, Central Government Account Director, Palantir
- Stephen Williams, Senior Business Manager, Department for Work and Pensions
Tricia Hayes CB - Category Champion for the Developing and Supporting People Award
A Skilled Civil Service
Tricia Hayes is the Second Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. Her panel consists of;
- Mark Byers, Chief Operating Officer, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
- Phil Graham, Executive Director Good Growth, Greater London Assembly
- Wesley Roberts, Deputy Private Secretary to Permanent Secretaries, Home Office
- Jonathan Stern, Divisional Director for Government Accounts, Computacenter
- Pia Wilkes, Chief Executive, Vehicle Certification Agency
Dame Elizabeth Gardiner - Category Champion for the Diversity and Inclusion Award
A Skilled Civil Service
Elizabeth Gardiner is First Parliamentary Counsel and the Permanent Secretary of the Government in Parliament Group in the Cabinet Office. Her panel consist of;
- Hattie Davison, Data Policy Directorate, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Graeme Goldsmith, NE Delivery Director, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service
- Stephen Kerr, Social Security Director, Scottish Government
- Shabbir Khan, Senior Policy and Strategy Adviser, Cabinet Office
- Helen Lederer, Director, No10 Corporate Services
- Naomi Mallick, Legal Director, Ministry of Justice
- Dr Jody Mellor, Research Officer, Welsh Government
- Rutendo Ndoro, Cabinet Office
- Cherie Turner, Universal Credit Operations Delivery, Department for Work and Pensions
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. Her panel consists of;
- Robin Edwards, Head of Domestic Data Protection Policy, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Charles Gladstone, Policy adviser Digital Regulation, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Jodie Levy, Head of Regional Tech Policy, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Lee Pope, Senior policy adviser, National Data Strategy team, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Jamie-Day Rawal, International Regulatory Cooperation Policy Lead, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Catriona Ross, Lead for skills and security/defence for Office of AI, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Tim Skinner, Director, UK Public Sector, NetApp
- Susannah Storey, Director General, Digital and Media Group, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Sir Patrick Vallance - Category Champion for the Science and Innovation Award
An Innovative Civil Service
Sir Patrick Vallance is the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser and the Head of the Government Science and Engineering Profession. His panel consists of;
- Rameya Arulanantham, Senior Technical Advisor, Department for International Trade
- Emma Braysher, Policy Co-ordinator, National Physical Laboratory
- Nick Daly, Science and Engineering Fast Streamer (SEFS), Ministry of Defence
- Dafni Moschidou, Antivirals Taskforce, Department for Health and Social Care
- Sarah Sharples, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for Transport
- Eleanor Voss, Senior Policy Adviser, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
- Andrew Whitley, Head of Office to the Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for International Trade
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. Her panel consists of;
- Stephen Aldridge, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
- Grant Fitzner, Chief Economist and Director, Macroeconomic Statistics and Analysis, The Office for National Statistics
- Steph Howarth, Chief Statistician, Welsh Government
- Catherine Hutchinson, Head of Evaluation Task Force and Director of Analysis, Cabinet Office
- Zebedee Nartey, Deputy Director, Cities and Local Growth Unit: Analysis, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
- Osama Rahman, Chief Analyst, Chief Scientific Adviser and Director, Department for Education
Jim Harra - Category Champion for the Project Delivery Award
An Ambitious Civil Service
First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive, HM Revenue and Customs. Jim's panel consists of;
- Andy Blackledge, Design to Delivery - planning and sequencing lead for Debt Transformation and Payments, HM Revenue and Customs
- Richard Hellings, Data Protection Remediation Programme Director, HM Revenue and Customs
- Rachel Mayer, CET PMO Lead - CEP and SCA, HM Revenue and Customs
- Andrew Morgan, Head of Project Professional Excellence, HM Revenue and Customs
- Gerard O-Connell, Director – Public Services, Tata Consultancy Services
- Nick Smallwood, Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure and Projects Authority
- Nicola Smith, Design to Delivery Director, HM Revenue and Customs
- William Sowter, VAT Benefits lead for MTD, HM Revenue and Customs
- Dean Vincent, Design to Delivery - product design lead for Debt Transformation and Payments, HM Revenue and Customs
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. Her panel consists of;
- Shehzad Charania, Director and Deputy Head, Attorney General’s Office
- Rosie McKerron, Deputy Head of First Minister’s Questions Team, Scottish Government
- Athith Shetty, Deputy Director National Security Unit, Cabinet Office
- Lucy Smith, DG Strategy and Change, Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs
Tamara Finkelstein - Category Champion for the Productive Partnerships Award
An Ambitious Civil Service
Tamara Finkelstein has been Permanent Secretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since June 2019. Her panel consists of;
- Dele Adetuwo, Portfolio Manager, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Florence Vane, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Fiona Campbell, Policy Advisor (HEO), Rural and Place (ES), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Sonia Lowe, Project Support Office (HEO), Climate Change Adaptation (ES), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Joe Wahla, Strategic Engagement (HEO), 25YES (ES), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Shayon Mukherjee, HEO Policy Advisor in National Biodiversity, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Viktoria Petrova, HEO Complaints Officer in Interim OEP, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Helen Ward, G7 Head of Access and Engagement in Access, Landscapes, Peat and Soils, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Dan Doherty, G6 Head of Policy and Strategy in Trees & Forestry, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Clare Jefferys, G6 ERM DG Chief of Staff, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Emma Appleby, DD Operations Team, Rural Payments Agency
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. Co-champion alongside Dame Shan Morgan.
Dame Shan Morgan - Co-Champion of the Cabinet Secretary’s Outstanding Leader Award
Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government. Dame Shan Morgan is co-champion alongisde Simon Case and her panel consists of;
- Susan Crutcher, PA, Future Generations
- Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Future Generations
- Emily Kennedy, Welsh Government
- Owain Lloyd, Director of Education and Welsh Language, Welsh Government
- Professor Meena Upadhyaya OBE, WG Non-Executive Director, professor in the Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University
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. Her panel consists of;
- Tracey Burke, Director General - Education and Public Services, Welsh Government
- Emma Hughes, Policy & Employee Relations Advisor, Department of Education
- Mark McLaughlin, Communications and Engagement Director, Department of Finance, Northern Ireland Executive
- Elinor Mitchell, Director, Propriety & Ethics, Scottish Government
- Thomas Munnelly, Corporate Lead, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Department of Education
Alex Chisholm - Category Champion for the Programme of the Year Award
Alex Chisholm became the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office in April 2020. His panel consists of;
- Graham Archer, Director of Qualifications, Curriculum and Extra Curriculum, Department for Education
- Chris Atkinson, UK Deputy Joint Secretary, Independent Reporting Commission, Northern Ireland Office
- Jess Ive, Senior Delivery Analyst, Levelling Up, No. 10 Delivery Unit, Cabinet Office
- Stephen Kerr, Social Security Director, Scottish Government
- Alexandra Galloway, Deputy Director of Civil Service Reform, Cabinet Office
- Shernett Ranson, Policy Advisor, MOG
- Anita Sharma, Deputy Director, Department for Work and Pensions and Head of Talent, Operational Delivery Profession
- Fiona Spencer, Director of Function, Profession & Standards, Infrastructure and Projects Authority
- Alexandra Whiteley, Head of Civil Service Live, Cabinet Office
Antonia Romeo - Category Champion for the Lifetime Achievement Award
- Malcom Bryant, Head of Public Defender Service, Legal Aid Agency
- Farhad Chikhalia, Deputy Director, Future Prison Policy, Ministry of Justice
- Hala Elsayed, Senior Economist, Ministry of Justice
- Laurence Lee, Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence
- Andrew Mitchel, Director General, Exports and UK Trade, Department for International Trade
- Lucy Parker, Team Leader, ITT Strategy and Sufficiency Unit, Department for Education
- Amy Rees, Director General of Probation and Wales, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service