Civil servants who have saved the nation huge amounts of money, helped to reduce the threat of terrorism and extended the hand of friendship to refugees in need have been recognised in King Charles III’s first Birthday Honours list.
The list of awards includes special mention for officials who have cut costs for the national coffers and kept vital public services running.
Among them are Ann Underwood, who has been awarded a CBE for leading an efficiency programme that has so far saved the Ministry of Defence more than £8bn. The Cabinet Office said she had motivated hundreds of people across defence to strive for better results for the Armed Forces and the taxpayer.
Mark Sheridan, deputy director of HM Revenue and Customs’ Fraud Investigation Service, receives an OBE for his role in securing more than 1,500 criminal convictions and “preventing huge revenue losses to fraudsters” as a senior responsible officer for organised labour fraud.
Also awarded an OBE is Kavitha Kishen, deputy director for security, resilience and strategy at the Government Office for Science. The Cabinet Office said her work had helped boost the nation’s resilience to threats including terrorism, cyberattacks and pandemics.
Lisa James, head of community outreach at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Ukraine Humanitarian Taskforce, was awarded an OBE for her work. She has supported many vulnerable Ukrainian people to access sponsorship, housing, and other public services.
Shirley Jones, an inspector at Northern Ireland’s Department of Education, has been awarded an OBE for her outstanding contributions to the lives of many children, young trainees and adults at risk of marginalisation and exclusion from education or employment.
West Midlands-based Department for Work and Pensions staff member Pauline Jones has been awarded an MBE for innovative work to place local people into important roles during the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
HMRC’s Gwynne Goodfield was awarded a BEM for her work to reduce the cost of recruitment. The Cabinet Office said she made tax-graduate recruitment “more sustainable and significantly more cost effective”, cutting the cost of each hire from £2,900 to £1,300 and saving a total of £175,000 for the department in 2022 alone.
Yorkshire and Humberside-based Forestry England staff member Lawrence Langton has also been awarded a BEM for his work planting thousands of trees, protecting local wildlife, and inspiring young people to protect forests.
Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said the civil servants recognised in the latest batch of honours had gone “above and beyond” the call of duty to serve the British public.
“I want to thank all those who have devoted their time to delivering exceptional public services, in particular those who have saved the taxpayer money,” he said.
Civil servants who have received honours also include...
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
- Vicky Bowman, director, Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business and former UK Ambassador to Myanmar
- Rob Harrison OBE, lately director general, Russia/Ukraine and director general, analysis, Covid-19 Taskforce, Cabinet Office
- Dr Michelle Haslem, director general, FCDO
- Kumar Iyer, director general, economics, science and technology, FCDO
- Ian Levy, OBE, director, FCDO
- Jane Marriott OBE, lately high commissioner, British High Commission Nairobi, Kenya
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Katherine Ruth Abbott,capability and performance management lead, DLUHC
- Leanne Almond, lately deputy director, National Crime Agency
- Luke Anthony, senior officer, National Crime Agency
- Ceinwen Blake, deputy director, corporate information technology and services, Office for National Statistics
- James William John Brereton, lately deputy director, transport security operations centre, DfT
- Clare Parry Brunton MBE, deputy director, major events directorate, Cabinet Office
- Alison Byrne, interim director for equality, inclusion and human rights, Scottish Government
- Michele Louise Campbell-Louden, assistant director, immigration prison team, Home Office
- Trevor Clare, team leader, MoD
- Michael Kenneth Claridge, operations and customer interface team leader, Defence Equipment and Support, MoD
- Anthony Cook, senior officer, National Crime Agency
- Julia Crouch, deputy head of mission, British Embassy Moscow
- Omar Daair, British High Commissioner Kigali, Rwanda
- Peter Alan Farr, head of civil law policy, MoJ
- Dr Susan Rosemary Foister, director of public programmes and partnerships, The National Gallery
- Laura Frances Fretwell, head of ceremonial team, Northern Ireland Office
- Suzanne Lisa Griffin, deputy director, DWP Digital
- Freya Rose Grimwood, lately principal private secretary to the law officers, Attorney General's Office
- Ursula Hart, deputy director, FCDO
- Varinder Hayre, district crown prosecutor, Crown Prosecution Service
- James Hayward, team leader, FCDO
- David Heath, counsellor, political affairs, FCDO
- Steven Hemsley, senior officer, National Crime Agency
- Colin James Herring, head of employee policy team, DWP
- Charlotte Heyes, chief negotiator and deputy director, Trade Negotiations Group, DBT
- James Hooley, joint head, Royal and Coronation Unit, FCDO
- Ishtiaq Hussain, assistant director, DLUHC
- Thomas Neill Jackson, head of executive services, the Executive Office, Northern Ireland Executive
- Lisa James, community outreach, Ukraine Humanitarian Taskforce, DLUHC
- Dr Kavitha Kishen, deputy director, security, resilience and strategy, Government Office for Science
- Dr Sarah Elizabeth Knight, behavioural scientist, DSTL
- Debra Mary Livingtsone MVO, head of protocol and honours, Scottish Government
- Matthew John Lodge, director, rail infrastructure, DfT
- Joan Ishbel Mackay, head of curriculum innovation at Education Scotland
- Elizabeth Anne McCleary, lately director, social security policy and legislation, Department for Communities, Northern Ireland Executive
- Angus McKee, head, intelligence policy department, National Security Directorate, FCDO
- Jennifer Gail McKibbin, lately director of EU exit operational readiness, the Executive Office, Northern Ireland Executive
- Claire Louise Merron, deputy head, safety, security and business resilience, MoD
- Alyson Mitchell, lately head of ethical digital national team, Scottish Government
- Colin Michael Morrow, director, procurement operations, Crown Commercial Service, Cabinet Office
- Paul Richard Mott, head of joint extremism unit, Home Office and HM Prison and Probation Service
- Prof John Norman Newton, director of public health analysis, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, DHSC
- Julia Elizabeth Nolan, lately deputy director, international climate strategy, BEIS
- Christian William Papaleontiou, head of tackling child sexual abuse unit, Home Office
- Dr Simon Robert Pender, deputy director, Cabinet Office
- Charles Mottram Ramsden, deputy director, Government Equalities Office
- Neil Andrew Redit, senior principal engineer, DSTL
- Piers Rennie, head of section, FCDO
- Prof Stuart Ian Rogers, lately marine scientist, Cefas
- Mark Sheridan, deputy director, HM Revenue and Customs Fraud Investigation Service
- Ryan Daniel Sinclair, assistant head, DBT
- Dr Jenifer Ann Evelyn Smith, lately deputy medical director, Public Health England
- Nicola Jayne Smith, governor, HM Prison Risley
- Susan Catherine Soroczan, group director, DWP
- Ingrid Marika Sarah Southworth, lately director, international affairs, Cabinet Office
- Stuart James Sterling, deputy director, major events directorate, Cabinet Office
- Sarah Louise Strangleman, liaison officer, DSTL
- Dr Rex Strong, head of regulatory integration, Sellafield Ltd
- Jane Susan Sweeney, head of programme management, delivery and challenge, HM Treasury
- Linda Ventress, lately cluster manager north east and regional estates and strategy manager, HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Rachael Joanna Atkins, deputy head, Strategy and Protocol Team, Constitution and Major Events Directorate, and lately deputy head, venue security and transport, COP26, Cabinet Office
- Hilda Bailey team leader, MoD
- Euan Andrew Barker, royal and ceremonial planning manager, Scottish Government
- Richard Barley, director of gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- Eric Blair, Honorary British Consul, Monaco
- Fiona Elizabeth Blyth, lately deputy head, Russia Ukraine Team, Cabinet Office
- Marie Boyce, customer services manager, DWP
- Caroline Sandra Brewster, programme management office lead, HMRC
- Rosemarie Brim, manager, Prime Minister's Office
- William Eric Brown, lately Museums National Security Adviser
- Gareth Boswell Browning, beat forester, Forestry England
- Lorna Lynn Canning, senior policy adviser, Home Office
- Raymond Stephen Carroll Bem, transport manager, Northern Ireland Office
- Margaret Jean Christensen, commercial adviser, DCMS
- Duncan Collard, desk officer, FCDO
- Mary Edmiston, payment services operations manager, Student Loans Company
- Lynn Marie Fell, senior operations manager, work and health, DWP
- Lynn Fidler, ceremonials team, DCMS
- Kate Fisher-Stevens, deputy director, National Crime Agency
- Mary Gillespie, people and capability Team, HM Treasury
- Jacqueline Amanda Griffiths, senior policy adviser, DBT
- William Andrew Hall MC, head of testing, exercising and activation team, Cabinet Office
- David Hardcastle, team leader, FCDO
- Andrea Harford, lately work coach team leader, DWP
- Emma Louise Hart, deputy head, engagement and protocol and lately chief media operations and events officer, COP26 Unit, Cabinet Office
- Rebecca Hayward, visits officer, UK Delegation to NATO, Brussels
- David Ian Heaton, facilities manager, Prime Minister's Office
- Diane Gillian Heighes, government banking industry lead, HMRC
- Robin Matthew Herringshaw, head of resilience, National Highways
- David William Heyburn, head of operations for microbiology and health protection, Public Health Wales
- Daniel Hill, team leader, FCDO
- Jonathan Holt, lately head, Customs Process Owner Project Management Office, HMRC
- Edward HOSKING Team Leader, MoD
- Wayne Ives, head, United Nations political and multilateral candidacies, Multilateral and Human Rights Directorate, FCDO
- Faye Elizabeth Alice Jackson, chief communications officer, ceremonials and culture, DCMS
- Pauline Jones, employer and partnership manager, DWP
- Dr Michael Olatunde Kehinde, equality, diversity and inclusion champion, Environment Agency
- Charlotte Kume-Holland, head of policy, major events, Cabinet Office and lately head of strategy, Covid-19 vaccine deployment, DHSC
- Elizabeth Angela Lalley, director of risk, resilience and community safety, Welsh Government
- Sarah Latham, deputy head, diplomatic missions and international organisations unit, Protocol Directorate, FCDO
- Stewart Andrew Leggett, interim director for roads, Transport Scotland
- Steven Machin, lately head of counter terrorism, HM Prison Whitemoor
- Camilla Marshall, deputy head of news, Prime Minister's Office
- Andrew Mason, officer, National Crime Agency
- Hannah Maunder, team leader, FCDO
- Thomas McAuley, acting head, sign language policy team, Department for Communities, Northern Ireland Executive
- Dr Rosemary McCarthy, head of global workforce, education and research, Health Education England
- Lennox Floyd Nembhard, Chief Immigration Officer, Home Office
- Shiva Chandra Niraula Pandit, Brigade of Gurkhas, MoD
- Rhiannon Catherine Page, ceremonials team, DCMS
- Jeeta Patel, lately senior policy adviser, Cabinet Office
- Belinda Perkins, event manager, Protocol Events and Hospitality Team, Protocol Directorate, FCDO
- Dr Sandrasekeram Premachandran, advisor, Care Quality Commission and emergency medicine consultant, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Adam Ernest Reid, senior security strategic communications manager, Northern Ireland Office
- Norman Victor Reid, staff officer, Department for Communities, Northern Ireland Executive
- Rosamund Roberts, Honorary Consul, The Bahamas
- Graham Robinson, policy manager, Scottish Government
- Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Paul Damian Rodgers, staff officer, Headquarters Infantry, MoD
- Lynne Rossiter, event manager, Protocol Events and Hospitality Team, Protocol Directorate, FCDO
- Alison Ryland, lately head of healthcare, HM Prisons Usk and Prescoed, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
- Samantha Seller Pacht, head of cyber threats, cyber policy department, National Security Directorate, FCDO
- Samuel Shouksmith, team leader, MoD
- Andrew Paul Simpson, head of digital communications, DCMS
- James Smith, team leader, MoD
- Janine Faye Smith, commercial and digital resilience manager, DWP
- Sandra Stephenson, head of personnel security, Department for International Trade
- Karen Stone, team leader, MoD
- Robin Keiji Kingston Sykes, lately head of import controls, Department for International Trade
- Richard James Symonds, security incident policy and investigation team leader, MoD
- Terri Thomson, deputy head, Protocol and Honours Team, Scottish Government
- Jean Verona Trewick, business management lead, DWP
- James Watler, retired civil servant, the Cayman Islands
- Zoe Weston, team leader, FCDO
- Lynn Willis, operations manager, Sellafield Ltd
- Keith Wilson-Jabbar, area manager, secure technical services officers, British Embassy Beijing
- Susan Jane Young (Susan Alder), people policy leader, HMRC
British Empire Medal (BEM)
- Idris Ali, provision contracts manager, DWP
- Gill Andrew, Jobcentre manager, DWP
- Paul Maurice Axford, royal ceremonial and honours officer, Scottish Government
- Margaret Carey, service-delivery coach, DWP
- Ian Jeffrey Cross, customer-service adviser, HMRC
- Lawrence Patrick Doherty, project manager, DWP
- David Evans, work coach, DWP
- Julie Ann Forrest, honours and protocol manager, Scottish Government
- Shane Freeman, desk officer, FCDO
- Emma Justine Garrett, head of visitor experience, Tate
- Gwynne Dudley Goodfield, tax specialist programme recuritment lead, HMRC
- Caroline Helen Grasmeder, deputy head of operations and assurance, Cabinet Office
- Alan Christopher Henshaw, team leader, Environment Agency National Course Fish Farm
- Christopher David Hingley, lately head of visitor experience, Tate
- Amber Kate Hughes, military transport road safety and assurance manager, MoD
- Paul Colin Kirby, quality-improvement adviser, Care Quality Commission
- Lawrence Langton, forest craftsperson, Forestry England
- Mohammad Mirza, caseworker, HMRC
- Barbara Morgan, Vice Consul, British Consulate General Los Angeles
- Daniel O’Donoghue, head of UK visas and immigration, British Consulate General New York
- Rebecca Oyeyemi Oyelami, senior programme manager, policy and programme management, Cabinet Office
- Barry Arnold Palmer, head of safety and security, Tate
- Hetalban Mayank Patel, compliance and investigation officer, HMRC
- Corina Antonette Pearce, programme and policy manager, land transport national security, DfT
- Lydia Catherine Riding, deputy head of programme management, Cabinet Office
- Nanar Setrakian, strategy and protocol project manager, Cabinet Office
- Paul Sheppard, secure technical services officer, British Embassy Moscow
- Ann Steele, private secretary to the deputy permanent representative, United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations, New York
- Kendal Walker, team leader, MoD
- Matthew Wennington, security operations manager, Prime Minister’s Office
If you or a colleague received an honour but did not feature on this list, please email beckie.smith@civilserviceworld.com