Tamara Finkelstein, the permanent secretary at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has been awarded one of the highest possible honours in the 2025 New Year Honours.
Finkelstein was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath in the honours, in recognition of her contribution to public service.
A summary of the top honours, published by the Cabinet Office on 30 December, said Finkelstein “dedicated her entire 32 year career to public service”, culminating in her perm sec role.
“She has led Defra’s transformation into a major delivery organisation, guiding it through EU exit and Covid,” it said. The statement added that Finkelstein has worked in six government departments, and that she holds a number of additional roles including senior sponsor of the Civil Service Jewish Network and head of the government policy profession. She also sits on the Civil Service Board, Government Reform Board, the Senior Leadership Committee, and chairs the Plan for London Board.
A number of senior civil servants were recognised with the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) – the next-most senior honour after a knighthood or damehood.
They include Amy-Claire Mason, chief executive of HM Prison and Probation Service, Jaee Samant, director general, public safety at the Home Office, and Jessica Glover, a director general at the Treasury, who were all recognised for public service; and Paul Monks, chief scientific adviser at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, for services to science in government.
Monks, who is also a professor of atmospheric chemistry and Earth observation science at the University of Leicester, said in a statement: “I am very much humbled to be recognised for the work of getting science into government. It has been rewarding to see how science can make a real difference to decision making.”
Among those who received CBEs are Louise Smyth, chief executive of Companies House, who was recognised for services to public life and to the economy; David Taylor, now chief executive of the British Business Bank and previously chief executive of UK Export Finance, for services to business and trade; and Chris Stark, the former chief executive of the Climate Change Committee – who was appointed to lead the Mission Control for Clean Power 2030 in DESNZ last summer – for services to tackling climate change.
Other high-profile names in the New Year Honours include actor and president of mental-health charity Mind Stephen Fry and Sadiq Khan, the first person to win three terms as mayor of London, who were both awarded knighthoods; and Labour MP and former shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry, who was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath.
Here is the full list of civil servants in the 2025 New Year Honours
Companion of the Order of the Bath
- Sarah Albon, chief executive, Health and Safety Executive, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to public administration
- Michelle Dyson, director general, Adult Social Care, Department of Health and Social Care. For services to health and social care
- Jessica Glover, director general, HM Treasury. For public service
- Amy-Claire Mason, chief executive officer and director general, HM Prison and Probation Service. For public service
- Paul Monks, director general, chief scientific adviser, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. For services to science in government
- Jaee Samant, director general, public safety, Home Office. For public service
- Catherine Vaughan, director general, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Richard Bruce, director, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. For services to decarbonising transport
- Tracey Burke, director general, Welsh Government. For public service in Wales
- Patrick Cauthery, deputy director, Aerospace and Defence, UK Export Finance. For services to aerospace and defence exports
- Deborah Chittenden, lately director, strategic illegal migration operations, Home Office. For public service
- Matthew Collins, senior policy adviser, Cabinet Office. For public service
- Timothy Eggar, chair, North Sea Transition Authority. For services to energy
- John Flint, chief executive officer, UK Infrastructure Bank. For public service
- Margaret Gillespie, deputy director, Resilience Co-ordination Division, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. For services to resilience, planning, response and recovery
- Alice Matthews, lately director, Delivery Unit, Prime Minister's Office. For public service
- Alexander McMahon, lately chief nursing officer for Scotland. For services to nursing in Scotland
- Louise Smyth, registrar of companies and chief executive officer, Companies House. For services to public life and to the economy
- Sharon Smyth, chief executive, construction procurement delivery, Northern Ireland Civil Service. For services to procurement
- Chris Stark, chief executive, Climate Change Committee. For services to tackling climate change
- David Taylor, chief executive, British Business Bank, and lately chief executive officer, UK Export Finance. For services to business and trade
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- Stephanie Brace, officer, National Crime Agency. For services to law enforcement
- Lisa Broadhurst, programme director, Social Security Programme, Scottish Government. For services to public service reform
- Shanez Cheytan, deputy director, land transport national security, Department for Transport. For services to rail passengers and transport
- Michael Cooper, director, UK Co-ordinating Body, Grants Hub, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. For public service
- Simon Cousen, deputy director, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service
- Susan Dawson, Commercial director, Schools Commercial and operations, Department for Education. For services to education
- Robert Denman, governor, HM Prison Usk and Prescoed. For public service
- David Fairbrother, Treasury officer of accounts, HM Treasury. For public service
- Sally Fenton, lately head, Built Environment Innovation Team, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. For services to net-zero innovation
- Paul Fisher, non-executive director and chair, Audit and Risk Committee, UK Debt Management Office. For services to public finances
- Justin Francis, nature lead, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Council for Sustainable Business and chair, Responsible Travel Company. For services to nature and to the environment
- Jermaine Hanson, officer, National Crime Agency. For services to law enforcement
- John Howells, director, Welsh Government. For services to the Welsh language
- Paul Hudson, lately planning advisor, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. For services to town planning
- Mark Kennedy, deputy director, maritime operations, Home Office. For services to border security
- Simon Lewis, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Thomas Limb, lately policy adviser, Cabinet Office. For public service
- Richard Livesey, scientific adviser, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Michael Livingston, deputy director, major sporting events and delivery, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. For services to Holocaust education and to public service
- Soumya Majumdar, head of unit, Proceeds of Crime Division, Crown Prosecution Service. For services to law and order
- Rosie Marr, deputy director, Cabinet Office. For public service
- Paul Norris, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Ushma Patel, Prime Minister's diary manager, Prime Minister's Office. For public service
- Laurence Pears, capability adviser, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Caroline Pemberton, head of resourcing, people function, Ministry of Justice. For services to the criminal justice system
- Sravya Rao, deputy director, economy and strategic analysis, Department for Business and Trade. For public service
- David Robson, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Kathryn Roe, lately deputy director, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. For services to cyber security
- Jonathan Rosenorn-Langg, head, operational policy and response, Home Office. For public service
- Savraj Singh, assistant head, Ukraine Task Force, security policy and operations, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Thomas Solloway, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Olivia Tunnell, assistant head Ukraine Task Force, security policy and operations, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Karen Turner, senior operational Support manager, HM Prison and Probation Service Wales. For public service
- Susan Waterson, head of investment, North of England, Department for Business and Trade. For services to trade and investment in the North of England
- Sandra Watson, lately children and families manager, HM Prison Oakwood, G4S Care and Justice Services Ltd. For services to the criminal justice system
- Steven Wearne, director of global affairs, Food Standards Agency and chair of Codex. For services to public health protection and to international food safety
- Thomas Wells, deputy director, Government Office for Science. For services to science in government
- Sally Weston, lately deputy director, Home Office. For public service
Member of the Order of the British Empire
- Mark Alexander, higher executive officer, Department for Work and Pensions. For services to promoting socioeconomic diversity
- Laurence Anderson, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Jane Burt, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Claire Croot, paralegal business manager, Crown Prosecution Service. For services to law and order
- Charles Han, lately International Liaison manager, Home Office. For services to border security
- Ashley Hayes, prison governor, Hydebank Wood Secure College and Women's Prison, Northern Ireland Prison Service. For public service
- Catherine Hitchen, professional adviser, SEND, Department for Education. For services to education and SEND
- Julian Horsler, equality and diversity manager, National Highways. For services to equality, accessibility and inclusion
- Martine Jays, officer, National Crime Agency. For services to law enforcement
- Marsha Kuye, lately head, border delivery, Cabinet Office. For services to border readiness
- Simon MacQueen, director of strategy, Sport England. For services to sport
- Lynne Moore, lately service leader, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service in North and Mid Wales
- Anna Murphy, team leader, Ministry of Defence. For services to defence
- Nicholas Parkes, head of freight, Department of Health and Social Care. For services to the operations of the health and care system
- Ahsan Rafeeq, deputy head, international marketing, Department for Business and Trade. For services to investment and marketing
- Shernett Ranson, head, public appointments talent and outreach, Cabinet Office. For public service
- Lee Rawlinson, lately director, Environment Agency. For services to the environment
- Jessica Uguccioni, deputy head, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, Department for Transport. For services to the regulation of self-driving vehicles
- Catharine Walton, chief engineer and technical lead, Home Office. For public service
- James White, officer, National Crime Agency. For services to law enforcement
- Stephen Whiting, senior policy advisor and lead communications officer, UK Debt Management Office. For public service
- Jane Wilson, head, strategy and people engagement for enterprise security and risk management, Department for Work and Pensions. For public service
Did we miss anyone? Email beckie.smith@civilserviceworld.com