Emma Hopkins, Cabinet Secretary Award, 2008
What was your role at the time you won the award?
Head of organised immigration crime, Home Office. It was my first policy role as I had previously been in a lawyer in the department, having joined the civil service after working as a barrister for several years.
And where are you now?
I’ve just left the civil service and I’m now chief executive at the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. I’ve gone back to the barristers’ profession, running Lincoln’s Inn with around 160 staff and a large estate. We support the legal profession and have a public purpose around promoting diversity and legal education. It’s back to a sector I know but I’m drawing on what I learned in the civil service, including leadership and my last 10 years overseas as an ambassador in two European countries.
You won the award for developing and delivering the UK’s first strategy on human trafficking. How did you come to work on that and what did it involve?
When I took on the role, it was to develop the UK’s first strategy on combating human trafficking. There was a public consultation and a huge amount of cross-government and interdepartmental work, as well as engagement with police and NGOs delivering victim services. The aim was an end-to-end strategy that addressed prevention, response and victim support. It was my first organisational leadership role beyond being a legal adviser.
What are you proudest of when you look back on that work?
I’m proud of the peer-to-peer work across government. It wasn’t about having a huge amount of resource to command; it was about working laterally – with colleagues in my own department, other departments, the police and NGOs. We all worked towards one clear and compelling purpose.
Just recently – almost 20 years later – I met up with my team, including police, NGOs and civil servants. The relationships we forged were strong and have really lasted.
What were the main challenges?
The very siloed perspectives. I had to navigate a sceptical police service who lacked trust in the Home Office, and NGOs who were campaigning for change. We wanted them as partners while still valuing their challenger role. It was painstaking work across all these organisations, putting in place building blocks for effective delivery – work that isn’t always celebrated.
What were the most important lessons you took from that time?
I loved the variety: policy, comms, organisational delivery, international work. I realised I had a passion for roles with that mix.
I also learned that you’re most effective when working with passion, pace and professionalism – in fact those were some of the “Four Ps” that the cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell was using to drive civil service reform at that time. They really resonated for me and I never felt more alive than when working on something I really believed in. I also learnt that you don’t have to change everything to change anything – focus on what you can change from where you are.
What is your strongest memory of the night you won?
It was a real honour to receive the award from Gus O’Donnell – he was a hero of mine and epitomised what a cabinet secretary should be. And I remember that David Normington, our permanent secretary, was even more excited than I was.
I was on maternity leave at the time, and you can lose a bit of professional confidence when you are off on leave. That evening reminded me what you can achieve when you believe in yourself. It was a confidence boost at exactly the right moment.
Who did you tell first?
My husband was with me. When I got home, I told my mum and then my team, who were very pleased.
What impact did winning have on you, personally or professionally?
It made me reflect on the value of public service, and I felt personally valued – something civil servants don’t always feel. The civil service at its best is an amazing place to work with real purpose.
Professionally, it helped me decide not to return to law but to stay in policy. It also helped me get a job at the Foreign Office, leading the campaign to prevent rape in war with William Hague. I then went on to win another Civil Service Award for that campaign – the international award in 2014.
Can you give us a highlight reel of your career since then?
After the international sexual violence campaign, I was invited to apply for an overseas role and became ambassador to Bulgaria in 2015, then to Denmark in 2020. I spent almost 10 years overseas in leadership roles, working on human trafficking, organised crime and different aspects of war crimes and violence against women.
After 25 years in the civil service, it felt like the right time for a new challenge, which is why I’ve moved into the legal sector while still focusing on the importance of the rule of law.
Do you have any advice for this year’s winners and shortlisted teams about making the most of their achievement?
First, be proud. There’s a lot of modesty in the civil service, but these awards shine a light on professionalism and integrity. They represent the best of us – people who go above and beyond.
Second, recognise the amazing opportunities the civil service gives you. When you leave, you realise that access to such responsibility and complexity isn’t common elsewhere.
Lastly, look for roles you’re passionate about. You’re most effective when the work genuinely motivates you. It’s not always about climbing the greasy pole – my trafficking job was a sideways step and people told me not to take it, but it was absolutely the right decision.