Henry Watson
Biography
After a period in the publishing industry, Henry joined the Ministry of Defence in 2000 where he undertook a range of policy, finance and HR roles. He completed an MBA in 2005 at Imperial College London before being appointed as Head of HR Policy at HM Prison Service.
In 2008 he took up the first of a range of social policy posts across Whitehall, covering areas including violent crime, child safety, Academy schools, and latterly as Head of Strategy for the Department for Education. In 2016 he joined the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as Head of HR Policy and Strategy. He took up the new role of Head of Civilian HR in the Army in June 2019, supporting the 8000 Civil Servants who work alongside military colleagues across the world.
Henry Watson joined GPG in February 2022 and is responsible for People Strategy, strategic workforce planning, and building the capability of the Civil Service’s People Function. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development.
Director of Functional Strategy, Performance and Capability
The Director of Functional Strategy, Performance and Capability leads the transformation of HR across the Civil Service, and is accountable for bringing consistency and professionalisation, and the function’s valuable contribution to the modernisation and reform agenda, driving progress on automation.