Former Brexit negotiator Sir Oliver Robbins has been appointed as the Foreign Office’s highest ranking civil servant.
Sir Oliver, known as Olly, will serve as the new permanent under-secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
He will replace Sir Philip Barton, who is stepping down after nearly four decades at the FCDO.
Sir Oliver was among the senior civil servants who were last year shortlisted for the post of Cabinet Secretary – the civil service’s top job – a role now filled by former health chief Sir Chris Wormald.
Formerly permanent secretary to the Department for Exiting the European Union, Sir Oliver oversaw Brexit negotiations for the Government until his departure in 2019.
He currently works for Hakluyt, a global strategic advisory firm, has previously worked for Goldman Sachs, and held senior roles at the Cabinet Office, Treasury and in Downing Street – but has never worked at the Foreign Office previously.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Sir Oliver was “exactly the person” to help him “rewire the FCDO to act as the international delivery arm of this Government’s missions”.
Mr Lammy added: “His extensive experience of economic and security issues, gained across a range of Whitehall departments, will stand us in good stead as we reorient the FCDO to focus on growth and migration, while continuing to double down on national security – the foundation of our Plan for Change.
“I would like to thank Sir Philip Barton for his many years of dedicated public service, in particular his leadership as PUS and his support through the recent political transition.”
Sir Oliver said: “It has been my pleasure to work alongside the FCDO’s predecessors for most of my civil service career. I’ve seen our extraordinary diplomatic and development capabilities first hand from Washington DC to Mogadishu, Dublin to Sana’a and Abuja to New Delhi.
“After five years out of the civil service I return believing more strongly than ever in the value of those capabilities and the public service principles that underpin them, while convinced that maintaining the UK’s lead depends critically on understanding and co-opting the pace of change evident in the UK and around the world.”
