By Richard Johnstone | 9 December 2011
Lin Homer, the permanent secretary at the Department for Transport, has been appointed as the new chief executive of Revenue & Customs.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell today announced that Horner will take over from Lesley Strathie, who stepped down last month on health grounds.
Homer will take up the job from next month after both the Prime Minister David Cameron and the Chancellor George Osborne approved the appointment.
Homer has been permanent secretary at the Department for Transport since 2010 and prior to that was chief executive of the UK Border Agency. Her earlier career was in local government and she served as chief executive of both Suffolk County Council and Birmingham City Council.
O’Donnell said Homer has a ‘wealth of experience working in the public service in central and local government’.
He added: ‘I was very sorry that Lesley Strathie had to step down last month, to concentrate on her health, at a time when R&C was achieving very real improvements in its performance, and I know that Lin will build on Lesley’s achievements.’
It has also been announced today that Dave Hartnett, R&C’s permanent secretary for tax, has agreed to postpone his retirement from February until the summer of 2012.
Homer said that Hartnett’s decision to stay on would provide ‘experience and continuity’ as she took on her new role.
Hartnett added: ‘I am very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Lin and will give her every support during the coming months as she determines how to build on R&C’s many achievements.’
