Sam Lister
Biography
Sam Lister is the Director General for Strategy and Operations at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. His portfolio includes strategy and pan-departmental policy, commercial, finance, communication, research and analysis, HR and organisational change and legal affairs. He oversees DCMS’s major projects portfolio, including commemorative events, and was sponsor for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Sam is also responsible for building departmental resilience for crisis management, he led DCMS’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and co-ordinates the department’s support for the Covid Inquiry. During 2019-20, Sam was responsible for culture, sport and civil society policy in DCMS.
Prior to this, Sam was responsible for Industrial Strategy, Science & Innovation at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, focusing on policies to boost productivity, support UK businesses to develop and exploit new technologies, and leading work on funding domestic and international research. He was also Director of Communication, Partnerships & Governance at BEIS and spent five years as Director of Communication at the Department of Health.
Before joining the Civil Service in 2011, Sam spent 12 years as a correspondent, news editor, and health editor at The Times.
Previous roles in government
-
Director General for Strategy and Operations
-
Director General for Performance and Strategy
-
Director General, Industrial Strategy, Science and Innovation, BEIS