Workings of Whitehall

Workings of Whitehall March 2022: Key players in the policy making process

A dynamic three-part seminar looking at how the Civil Service functions, how policy is made, and how businesses can engage with Whitehall.

Date & time

10 Mar 2022

24 Mar 2022

Attendance type

Online

Where

TBC

Price

Member - £350.00
Non-Member - £450.00

Workings of Whitehall is a dynamic 3-part seminar delivered entirely by current and former senior civil servants, giving participants the opportunity to learn about how the Civil Service functions, who the key figures in the policymaking process are, and how business can effectively engage with Whitehall.

Participants have the opportunity to learn about how policies are made, gain an insight into the role of The Treasury, Cabinet Office and No. 10, as well as the relationship between a Special Adviser, a Minister and a Permanent Secretary, and understand how industry can effectively engage with the Civil Service.

This seminar is ideal for anyone new to working in public affairs or government engagement in the private or not-for-profit sector, individuals new to the Civil Service, and those interfacing with central government from other public bodies.

Dates:

  • Session 1 | Thursday 10 March, 09:45-12:30
  • Session 2 | Thursday 17 March, 10:00-12:00
  • Session 3 | Thursday 24 March, 10:00-12:45

Sessions will cover:

  • An overview of the Civil Service, The Cabinet Office and key policymakers
  • A look at the policymaking process
  • A policy case study with an interactive group activity
  • The role of HM Treasury
  • How business engages with Whitehall
  • The role of the Permanent Secretary and Special Adviser
  • And more!

Speakers include:

  • Olly Newton, Executive Director, The Edge Foundation, and former Head of Apprenticeships Strategy, Department for Education
  • Elena Wilson, Policy Manager, The Edge Foundation, and former Central Strategic Finance Advisor, Department for Education
  • Jonathan Slater, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education (2016-2020)
  • Gladys Mugugu, Senior Private Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Education, Department for Education
  • Katherine Exelby, Private Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Education, Department for Education
  • Giles Wilkes, former Special Adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May
  • Ramneek Mahal, VP, Head of Global Corporate Government Affairs & Policy, GSK
  • Alexandra Cran-McGreehin, Chief Operating Officer, The Whitehall & Industry Group, and former Head of Costing, HM Treasury

 Workings of Whitehall Agenda

 

Pricing:

  • Member standard rate: £350 + VAT
  • Non-member rate: £450 + VAT

Olly Newton spent 12 years in the Department for Education working on policies including 14-19 diplomas, raising the participation age and finally as Head of Apprenticeship Strategy. Olly is now Executive Director of the Edge Foundation, where he oversees a programme of primary research, is lead author on all of the charity’s policy reports and runs the Edge Future Learning delivery programme for schools and colleges.

 

In his spare time, Olly volunteers with the Scout Association, is Enterprise Adviser for Firth Park Academy and supports community theatre in Sheffield.

Elena started off her career in the Civil Service, working on a range of policies across the Welsh Government, the Department for International Trade, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department, and the Department for Education.

Elena now works as Policy Manager at the Edge foundation where she leads Edge’s policy network in the education field, develops proactive policy responses to current events and interacts with policy makers within the education sector, civil service and Members of Parliament to shape and develop education policy. In her spare time, Elena is an avid climber and trail runner and enjoys volunteering for Food Cycle. 

Giles provides advice on UK political and policy matters related to industrial strategy, competition and regulatory concerns.

In the two and a half years before joining Flint, Giles was a Special Adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May covering industrial strategy, consumer and competition policy, energy and transport and general economic issues. He had played a similar role as Special Adviser to Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills for four years in the coalition government. In between these posts he spent two years writing editorial and the Lex column for the Financial Times, covering politics, economics and business policy.

Before moving into policy roles, Giles spent ten years in a variety of roles at IG Group, the spread betting and financial derivatives specialist and completed Masters courses in Economic History and Business Administration.

Gladys is a senior private secretary at the Department for Education, with responsibility for Higher Education, Apprenticeships and Digital.  

Gladys has been a civil servant for seven years. She has an analytical background and has previously held roles in School Capital Economics at the DfE and Indirect Tax Forecasting at HMRC.

Katherine is Private Secretary to Secretary of State for Education covering Further Education and Skills portfolio. Katherine has been in the role for nearly a year and previously worked on Covid Response and Free Schools policy in the Department.

Jonathan Slater is a Visiting Professor at King’s College London and Queen Mary’s University London. He sits on the boards of the Charter Schools Educational Trust, Morley College, Sheffield Hallam University, and the Institute of Government. Jonathan was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education until 2020, at the conclusion of a 20 year civil service career that included Justice, Defence, the Cabinet Office and No.10. Before that Jonathan worked in local government for over 10 years, ending up as Director of Education and Deputy Chief Executive at Islington Council, though his career actually started as a mathematical modeller for British Rail.

Ramneek is responsible for partnering with Governments around the world, developing impactful policy to support scientific innovation and delivery of medicines to patients.  Priority areas include: Life Sciences, R&D Investment, Global Trade, Global Health and Health Security. 

Ramneek joined GSK in 2003, holding progressive roles in patient access, marketing and sales across the respiratory, vaccines, oncology and HIV businesses.  Ramneek recently moved to the UK to lead Government Affairs for Europe and later GSK’s Global and Corporate teams.  Prior to joining GSK, Ramneek worked 6 years at management consulting firm Accenture architecting change to achieve growth and global competitiveness for top-tier clients.  Her biggest project was working with the Government of Ontario in Canada on their delivery of Social Care programs.

Date & time

10 Mar 2022

24 Mar 2022

Attendance type

Online

Where

TBC

Price

Member - £350.00
Non-Member - £450.00

;