The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has hired Home Office director general Joanna Rowland as its next chief executive.
Rowland, who is currently DG for the department’s Customer Services Group, will take up her new role at the RSPCA on 3 December.
Animal-lover Rowland said she is “thrilled” to be joining the charity, which was founded in 1824. She said she had adopted pets from the RSPCA throughout her life and currently has three RSPCA rescue cats: Margaret, Charlie and Flobie.
“I have spent my career as a public servant, leading large scale organisations each dedicated to the important mission of improving people’s lives and I am looking forward to bringing my expertise to an organisation that transforms the lives of animals,” she said.
“The staff and volunteers at the RSPCA do amazing work, day in day out, helping and protecting animals and I’m delighted to be leading them all to ensure we go even further to better the lives of animals and society.
“It is an extraordinary honour to lead the RSPCA, a charity rooted in compassion and courage for over 200 years. I step into this role with deep respect for its legacy and a fierce commitment to shaping a future where, together, we strive to make sure every animal is treated with kindness.”
Rowland will take over from interim RSPCA chief executive Shān Nicholas.
RSPCA chair Amanda Bringans, said Rowland’s skills as a strategic and transformational leader would be crucial for the charity at a time when animals are facing the biggest challenges in the organisation’s two-century history.
“Her leadership will be vital in helping to deliver the societal change we need to see,” she said.
Rowland has held her current post at the Home Office since the beginning of last year. She also serves as the department’s ethics adviser, which is a role that was created in response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.
Prior to joining the Home Office, Rowland held several senior roles at HM Revenue and Customs – latterly as DG for transformation, heading the Transformation Business Group since November 2020.
Before that, she headed the HMRC programme and project management profession and became interim DG for Covid-19 response in August 2020, leading the implementation of then-chancellor Rishi Sunak’s packages to support businesses and jobs, such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Rowland was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2022’s New Year Honours in recognition of her work to protect the nation’s economy during the pandemic.
Earlier in her career, she delivered several government major projects including the Criminal Justice Efficiency Programme at the Ministry of Justice and worked as a programme director in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Before joining the civil service she worked in policing, undertaking senior operational and policy roles.