The Cabinet Office has appointed former British Council director of global estates Janet Young as government chief property officer.
Young will report to Mike Parsons, director general, government property. In her new role she will lead the agenda for the Office of Government Property (a new organisition formed out of the old Government Property Unit), which supports the delivery of the government estates strategy and strategic asset management plans.
The OGP sits alongside the recently launched Government Property Agency, a separate body that has been launched to asset manage multiple departments’ estates for the first time, oversee the sale of surplus public buildings, and release a new wave of civil service office requirements.
The OGP has retained responsibility for delivering key programmes in the wider public sector such as One Public Estate, a local authority-focused programme that encourages property partnerships between government bodies to unlock surplus land and property.
Young is a RICS qualified chartered surveyor with more than 25 years’ professional experience. She joins from the British Council where she has been director of Global Estates.
Prior to joining the British Council, she was director of estates at the Ministry of Justice, head of asset management at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and deputy director of estates at the Department for Education. She also has experience working for local authorities and housing associations.
Mike Parsons, director general, Government Property said: “Janet’s appointment as the Government Chief Property Officer will help to position property as a strategic enabler to create a modern, effective and efficient Civil Service fit for the 21st century.
“We welcome Janet in joining us to deliver a brilliant Civil Service that is a great place for property professionals to work and develop their careers.”
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