The cabinet secretary yesterday (14 December) appointed Gareth Davies as the new permanent Secretary to the Department for International Trade.
Davies is currently second permanent secretary at the Department for Transport (DfT), where his responsibilities include decarbonising transport, technology, international and security. Before his current role is worked at both DfT and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as a director general.
Changing personnel
He takes over from James Bowler who took up a new role as permanent secretary to the Treasury in October and will start his new role in the new year, supporting the secretary of state, Kemi Badenoch and her ministerial team.
Crawford Falconer, who previously served as second permanent secretary and chief trade negotiator at the DIT from 2017 to 2022, had been acting in the role on a temporary basis.
Bio
Earlier in his career, Davies led the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and worked in 10 Downing Street, having previously spent over a decade in the private sector, including stints with the insurance company AIA and management consultancy and advisory firm PwC.
Badenoch said she was delighted that Davies was taking the role at what she described as “a hugely important moment in the UK’s journey as an independent trading nation”.
She went on the highlight that his experience in government and the private sector would help the UK “win more valuable investment, boost our exports and secure world class trade deals”.
Davies 'delighted'
Davies himself said he was delighted to have been asked to lead the DIT at this crucial time. “We will only get back to growth if companies have the confidence to invest and export,” he said.
“DIT can be rightly proud of its achievements over its first six years and I’m looking forward to working with the secretary of state and the leadership team to open up new markets, support companies across the country to trade and protect British businesses from unfair competition.”