Ruth Hannant
Biography
Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne became Directors General for Policy at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as a job-share in July 2023, adding a number of responsibilities to their previous role as Directors General for Culture, Sport, and Civil Society, held since joining DCMS in March 2021. From 7 February 2023 to 10 July 2023, Ruth and Polly served as Interim Permanent Secretaries at DCMS.
They are responsible for media, advertising and publishing, arts, creative industries, heritage, museums, cultural diplomacy, tourism and the visitor economy, the Government Art Collection, the National Archives, gambling, lotteries, sport, civil society, volunteering and tackling loneliness and youth (outside of education).
Prior to DCMS, Ruth and Polly have job shared for over 14 years as:
- Directors General for Rail Group at the Department for Transport (DfT)
- Directors of Higher Education and Higher Education Reform at the Department for Education (DfE) and previously the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
- Directors for Strategy and Growth at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Ruth and Polly moved to BIS from HM Treasury where they led the Corporate Finance, Business, Innovation and Skills team.
Before job-sharing with Polly, Ruth was a Deputy Director in the Shareholder Executive (now UK Government Investments) where she led work on Post Office reform, Royal Mail and Postal Policy, the government’s shareholdings in NATS and CDC and the restructuring of British Energy. Ruth started her career in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) working on exports, employment relations and energy. She also spent 9 months on secondment at HSBC Investment Bank in their Energy and Utilities team.