Mark Thomson is to lead Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) as its new director general.
Thomson, formerly the managing director of Royal Mail International, will replace acting director general Tyson Hepple. He will hold the position for a fixed term of three years, beginning this spring.
HMPO was brought under the direct control of the Home Office last year following a backlog of unprocessed applications and a critical report by the Home Affairs Committee which accused it of an "appalling series of failures".
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Announcing the appointment, Home Office permanent secretary Mark Sedwill said: “Mark brings with him external experience of working in operations that will make him an excellent leader of HMPO and member of the Home Office Executive Management Board.”
Thomson has previously acted as commercial lead on the Royal Mail and Post Office separation, as well as taking on sales and media roles for the company.