Press release: Appointment of Matthew Rycroft as Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development

The Cabinet Secretary, with the agreement of the Prime Minister, has today announced that Matthew Rycroft, currently UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development (DFID) with effect from January 2018.

Welcoming Matthew’s appointment Sir Jeremy Heywood said:

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Matthew Rycroft as the Permanent Secretary for the Department for International Development. He is doing an excellent job as the UK Permanent Representative to the UN and will bring to the role a wealth of relevant experience from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Number Ten. I look forward to working with him as he starts his work delivering DFID’s important mission. I would also like to thank Nick Dyer for his excellent custodianship of the Department pending Matthew’s arrival in January 2018.

Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development, said:

I look forward to welcoming Matthew Rycroft as DFID’s new Permanent Secretary. Matthew’s track record throughout his career, and his interest in international development, mean that he brings to the role a global perspective and understanding. This is central to my ambition that we continue to lead the UK’s work to end extreme poverty and to build a safer, healthier, more prosperous world for people in developing countries and in the UK.

Matthew Rycroft said:

It is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to lead DFID and support Priti Patel and her ministerial team at this exciting time for the Department. I look forward to working with my new colleagues and across Whitehall: to ensure that the UK remains a world leader in the fight against poverty; to support the delivery of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development; and to tackle other global challenges.

Notes to Editors

Arrangements for appointing a successor to Matthew Rycroft will be announced in due course.