John Clarke appointed as UK Shared Business Services Board Chair
Business Secretary appoints John Clarke as Chair of UK Shared Business Services (UK SBS) Board.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has appointed John Clarke as UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) Board Chair, following an open competition conducted in line with the Governance Framework on Public Appointments.
UK SBS provide HR, payroll, finance, procurement, and IT services to its joint owners – the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UK SBS is a trusted shared services provider to government, supporting over 20,000 public sector employees through its business services and expertise.
John brings a wealth of experience to the role, currently serving as a non-executive director with the UK Ordnance Survey, and a former non-executive member with the Department of Work and Pensions - as part of the Digital Advisory Committee since 2018 and 2017 respectively.
John is a former partner with Ernst & Young and has held senior corporate positions including:
- Chief Executive and Chairman at Mind Foundry
- Chief Information Officer at Nokia
- Chief Technology Officer at Tesco
- Interim Chief Information Officer at Morrisons and Primark.
He has also led a range of large-scale digital transformations, developed global business services, shared services, digital and cyber operations and had led several large-scale corporate transactions.
John’s extensive transformation experience, shared services, digital and technological knowledge will serve to strengthen and further enhance the service UK SBS delivers to its partners.
As Board Chair, John will play a crucial role in leading and supporting UK SBS during a critical time in its shared services transformation journey as it prepares to meet future demand in response to the Government Shared Services Strategy. John’s strong leadership will guide the company in delivering leading-edge shared services to multiple clients at the best value and providing end-users with the high-quality user experience they have become accustomed to in the digital age.
John Clarke said:
I am honoured to have been offered the position as a Chair of the Board and I am very much looking forward to supporting UK SBS in developing shared services to support government departments in delivering on their respective priorities and enhancing business operations.
Richard Semple, Chief Executive Officer of UK SBS said:
I am delighted to welcome John to UK SBS as our new Chairman and greatly look forward to working with him over the coming months and years. He joins our Board as the company embarks on a journey of expansion and transformation to meet the Government’s Shared Services Strategy, and I have no doubt that his wealth of business and digital experience will prove to be invaluable in setting our strategic direction for the future.
Notes to editors
- non-executive board members are experts from outside government who provide oversight and challenge to the department in the development of policy and the management of resources
- John Clarke is a non-executive director for the Ordnance Survey, Department of Work and Pensions and Brain in Hand. He is also Strategic Adviser for Silo AI in Finland. He is currently Chief Information Officer for Primark
- read more information about UK SBS