HMRC director shares experience in strategic management in Bulgaria
The visit contributes to the strong partnership between the UK and Bulgaria on tackling fiscal crime, and supports the Embassy’s Magna Carta 800 years campaign on the Rule of Law.
Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs
On 26 June 2015, Paul Gerrard, Strategy and Change Director of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), opened the General Assembly of the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA). The event was attended by around 100 NRA senior managers who administrate a structure with more than 8,000 employees. In his opening address, Paul Gerrard shared UK best practice in strategy and people management in his agency.
The visit is coordinated by the British Embassy in Sofia, where two full-time HMRC officers with responsibilities across the Balkan region are delpoyed. The British Deputy Ambassador to Bulgaria Sarah Riley also took part in the event.
Sarah Riley, British Deputy Ambassador to Bulgaria, said:
I am delighted that Paul Gerrard is in Bulgaria to share experiences with his Bulgarian colleagues. Not least as yet another example of the strong partnership between the UK and Bulgaria on tackling the fiscal crime which can be so damaging to both our economies. This visit is part of our ongoing cooperation to improve our response to organised criminal networks across the EU.
This year the British Embassy in Sofia is celebrating 800 years of the Magna Carta – the milestone event in British history signifying the beginning of a law-based society. Mr Gerrard’s visit contributes to the Embassy’s Magna Carta campaign, which promotes the Rule of Law as the foundation of just societies.
Notes to editors
About Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
HMRC is the UK tax authority; it collects over £514 billion in taxes to fund UK public services each year. These taxes range from Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Value Added Tax and Corporation Tax, and Excise Duties including duties on fuel, alcohol and tobacco.
HMRC was formed in 2006 following the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise.
About Paul Gerrard
Paul Gerrard has worked in strategic change management for a number of years and has been heavily involved in managing transformational change in terms of customer service, cultural change and process redesign.
In particular he led on the implementation of the new Civil Service Performance Management system across 65,000 people in HMRC to raise performance and change the culture of people management in HMRC.
Paul Gerrard also developed and delivered the UK’s tobacco smuggling strategy, integrating 950 extra staff and new scanning technology, provided by £205m additional funding, into HMRC’s existing enforcement activity. He formulated a new strategic approach to maximise economic damage to criminal groups, including through working innovatively with partners overseas; this reduced the illicit market share of tobacco by 30% of the UK market, saving over £1 billion per year.
Paul Gerrard currently reports directly to the Director General of HMRC and has 2,500 staff under his command.