The head of the Government Property Unit is to retire from the civil service.
Bruce Mann, executive director of the GPU, is to step down in October, after being appointed to the role four years ago.
His deputy, Sherin Aminossehe, will act up as head of GPU until a permanent successor is found.
Mann’s retirement comes at a time when a new company is due to be created, with former BPF chief executive Liz Peace as shadow chair, with a new role yet to be determined but based around portfolio management, encouraging departments to work co-operatively to get the most out of existing assets.
The GPU is involved in reducing the government estate from 800 buildings to fewer than 200 by 2023.
It also hopes to raise £5bn from property sales by 2020, selling everything from unused airfields and barracks to surplus prisons and abandoned labs.
From October 2015: Listen: Government outlines five-year estate strategy
From September 2015: Interview: Sherin Aminossehe
From November 2015: Peace to shape government property sales strategy
Ben Gummer, minister for Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, said: “Bruce has been a great public servant. Over the last few years, he and his team at GPU have improved the office estate in which civil servants work, helping them to be more effective public servants and releasing billions of pounds in savings of taxpayers’ money, to be used in frontline services.
“I am immensely grateful for his work in GPU and wish him well in retirement.”
John Manzoni, chief executive of the Civil Service, said: “GPU has achieved a huge amount during Bruce’s tenure and it is important that the pace of change continues.
“I’m positive that Sherin will continue the important work of maximising the savings and use of the government estate for the benefit of the taxpayer. A permanent appointment will be made in due course.”
From February: Briefing: The hand of gov
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