New PM Andy Burnham has appointed a former BBC executive as “expert adviser on structure and process” after the announcement of major machinery of government changes in the civil service.
A very brief announcement from No.10 described Gautam Rangarajan as bringing “significant experience in corporate strategy and transformation” to government.
Last month, barely a day into the role of prime minister, Burnham revealed MoG changes that will scrap the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – and create a new Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Burnham has also launched No.10 North in Manchester and set out wide-ranging plans to devolve functions from central government to mayoral strategic authorities, which are expected to make the civil service “smaller and more strategic”.
Those reforms will form part of cabinet secretary Antonia Romeo’s ongoing review of Whitehall that has a remit to “examine the full range of activities undertaken by the civil service”, including its “size, shape, and structure”.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Rangarajan spent 31 years working at the BBC, most recently as group director for strategy and performance – a position he held from 2013 until last year. His earlier roles include controller of BBC corporate strategy and controller of public service strategy.
Rangarajan’s profile describes him as an experienced strategist, creative content producer, and musician with more than 20 years’ experience in media, creative industries and public service broadcasting.
Among his attributes, the profile states “proven expertise leading large-scale change initiatives, driving organisational growth, and negotiating high-stakes policy and financial agreements”.
It also describes him as being “recognised for guiding businesses through highly complex problems, major operational transformation and financial challenges while consistently delivering value”.