What does your job involve?
I job-share with Charlotte Baker and together we lead on food strategy, policy and delivery. This covers everything from net zero to organics certification; seasonal workers’ visas to agri-tech in the industrial strategy; food price inflation; and sheep carcass classification.
To do your job well you need...
To know what you’re trying to achieve. Which is different from what everyone is telling you to do! You also need to right-size the role to the time you have, which is why I am lucky enough to job-share rather than work part time.
First job in government?
I started my career as a crown servant rather than a civil servant, working at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. I answered the phone to the public and replied to letters and emails to triage complaints about government and the NHS. It was a great place to start my career as it brought home to me the impact that government has on millions of lives every day, and the effects on individuals when things go wrong.
Proudest achievement to date?
In my first government job in DfT, and then again this year at Defra, I’ve had the privilege of being involved in honouring war veterans for their contribution. In 2007, we hosted a reception at No.10 for the Women’s Air Transport Auxiliary, and medals were awarded by then-prime minister Gordon Brown. And this year, our food team at Defra organised a commemorative plaque and badges for members of the Women’s Land Army. Neither were my achievements at all, but being able to recognise this amazing service certainly made me very proud.
Most bizarre thing that’s happened to you at work?
This actually happened when I wasn’t at work, which is what made it bizarre. My (brand new) husband and I started our honeymoon by taking the sleeper train to Penzance. We were just settling into the restaurant car when over my G&T, I saw a familiar face coming towards me that I couldn’t quite place. Until I realised that it was my minister…
If you weren’t a civil servant, you’d be...
An interior designer; a columnist for a Sunday paper; or running a cheese shop or café.
What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever been given?
“It’s amazing what you can achieve if you don’t mind who gets the credit.” I take that to mean collaboration over competition, problem solving over posturing!
If you could wave a magic wand over the civil service, what would you change?
There is still much more to do on how we support people’s careers when they have children. I think that many women – and other carers – feel there is still a trade-off between looking after dependents and progressing their careers, and I’d like to see richer and more open conversations about that.