The Cabinet Office has named Janet Young, a property professional who has previously worked in three Whitehall departments, as the government’s chief property officer.
In the role, which has been created as part of government property reforms, Young will lead the property profession across government, focused on building capacity and capability to deliver the new Government Estates Strategy, which is expected shortly.
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Young, who will report to the Cabinet Office’s director general for government property Mike Parsons, will also be responsible for developing clear standards and a professional community for the property function.
She returns to central government from the British Council where she was director of global estates. Before that, Young worked as director of estates at the Ministry of Justice until August 2017, and has also been head of asset management at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and deputy director of estates at the Department for Education.
Young joins government as a number of reforms are being introduced. The previous Government Property Unit, based in the Cabinet Office, has been split into the Government Property Agency and the Office of Government Property.
The GPA will manage central government property as a strategic asset while the OGP is intended to provide support to government and the wider public sector to manage their estate more efficiently and effectively.
The OGP is also responsible for driving the Government Estates Strategy, with an updated version expected in Spring 2018, which the Cabinet Office has said will focus on “further improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the government’s estate, including hubs and a redistribution of public servants”.
Parsons welcomed Young’s return to Whitehall, which he said would “help to position property as a strategic enabler to create a modern, effective and efficient civil service fit for the 21st century”.
He added: “We welcome Janet in joining us to deliver a brilliant civil service that is a great place for property professionals to work and develop their careers.”