The Cabinet Office has appointed a new chief operating officer.
Harriet Aldridge will move to the department from her current role leading the Government Internal Audit Agency, an executive agency sponsored by HM Treasury.
As COO, Aldridge will be responsible for corporate functions within the Cabinet Office, enabling change and delivering on the department’s key priorities.
She brings direct experience of cross-government working from her time as chief executive of the GIAA, where she led internal audit service provision across government.
The Cabinet Office said Aldridge’s start date will be announced shortly once interim arrangements for GIAA leadership are confirmed. A recruitment exercise will begin shortly for a new GIAA chief exec.
Aldridge is the latest in a series of senior civil service moves over the last few months in the Cabinet Office which have included the appointment of cabinet secretary Dame Antonia Romeo and Juliet Chua as director general for the Economic and Domestic Secretariat.
Romeo, who was permanent secretary at the Home Office, became cab sec and head of the civil service last month, following the departure of Sir Chris Wormald.
Chua joined the Cabinet Office as a DG in January, replacing Sarah Harrison, who left in November to become chief exec of the Building Societies Association.
Other recent moves include Ellen Atkinson coming in as DG, Propriety and Construction Group, replacing Darren Tierney, who is now perm sec at the Office for National Statistics, and Janet Hughes announcing her departure as DG for reform and efficiency.
The appointment of a government chief people officer is still be made, with the role currently being shared on an interim basis by Caitlin Kinsella and Janette Durbin.