Former Victoria College student John Paul Marks, who has worked for the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions for the past 12 years, will take up the post of permanent secretary in Scotland at the start of 2022.
The appointment was made by the UK cabinet secretary Simon Case with the agreement of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Mrs Sturgeon said she was ‘delighted’ to be welcoming Mr Marks, adding: ‘John Paul brings a wealth of experience to this senior leadership role from his career in the civil service.
‘I look forward to working with him over the years ahead as we recover from Covid-19 and deliver on the government’s ambition to build a fairer, greener Scotland.’
Mr Marks was born in Jersey and went on to complete an MA degree in social and political science at Cambridge University between 1999 and 2002 before joining the UK civil service in 2004.
He said: ‘I am grateful to the First Minister and cabinet secretary for this exciting opportunity and would like to thank all the teams at the Department for Work and Pensions for their support and public service over the years.
‘I look forward to joining the team in Scotland in the new year as we do our very best for Scotland in these important years ahead.’
As the principal accountable officer for the Scottish government, the permanent secretary is personally responsible to the Scottish Parliament for the exercise of their responsibilities, including the management of the Scottish government’s budget.
