WIREDGOV

Alex Aiken, Executive Director for Government Communications and Head of Profession, is delighted to congratulate and welcome to GCS colleagues recently appointed to Directors of Communications and senior leadership roles for the profession.

GCS aims to help every government communicator perform to the best of their potential and is committed to the Civil Service Leadership vision. As a profession we seek to develop leaders who are:

• Inspiring – about their work and its future;
• Confident – in their engagement; and
• Empowering – their teams to deliver.

“Senior leaders have a critical role in inspiring great performance, providing visible leadership and direction, and nurturing talent and creativity. I look forward to working with you and your teams on the exciting programme of work ahead and addressing the three priorities I set the profession at the start of the year – raising standards, strengthening our democracy and reassuring communities.”
Alex Aiken

After seven years leading the award winning GREAT Britain campaign Conrad Bird has been appointed as the new Director of Campaigns and Marketing at the Department of International Trade DIT.

“I’m delighted to take on this stretching role as trade issues assume a new level of importance, and we will need to be at our best if we are going to continue to support our exporters and encourage inward investment to the UK in this changing landscape.”
Conrad Bird

Kirsty Buchanan has been appointed the Director of Communications at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Currently working as a media advisor to the Prime Minister, Kirsty was formerly Deputy Director at the Department for Communities and Local Government and Director of Communication at West Sussex Council.

Olaf Henricson-Bell has been appointed Press Secretary to the Chancellor and Head of Communications at HM Treasury. Olaf has spent the last ten years in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and has spent the last four years in the British Embassy in Paris, firstly as the Head of EU and Communications and latterly as the Head of Politics and Communications.

“I am delighted to have joined the Treasury, and proud to be leading our excellent communications teams as we prepare for major decisions, about the shape of our economy and our shared spending priorities, in the coming months.”
Olaf Henricson-Bell