New Executive Director of Major Projects appointed at OGC
Released on
17/11/2009
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) today announced that David Pitchford has been appointed as Executive Director of Major Projects. David succeeds Jonathan Simcock, who has returned to Shell on completion of his two year secondment.
David brings a wealth of experience having operated at the highest level of management for over 20 years. His previous roles include General Manager of Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, (the largest land reclamation project in the world), Chief Executive of the City of Melbourne (responsibility for the administration and operation of the Capital City of Victoria and the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games), and Chief Executive of the Office of Governor of Tasmania.
Speaking about the appointment Nigel Smith, Chief Executive of OGC, said:
"I am delighted to be able to welcome David to OGC. The scale and complexity of Government's major programmes and projects brings many challenges, which I am sure that David will embrace."
David Pitchford said:
"This is a very exciting time to be joining OGC, and I am thrilled to be taking on such a vital role at the heart of Government's drive to secure greater value for money through effective major project management. The public sector is expected to deliver more results for less money, and achieving that will rely not just on development of effective and deliverable policies, but also on the skills of the project management professionals who deliver those policies. I hope to make a very significant and sustained contribution."
David will take up his post in late November.
Notes to editor
About OGC
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is an independent office of HM Treasury, established to help government deliver best value from its spending. The OGC works with central government departments and other public sector organisations to ensure the achievement of six key goals:
Delivery of value for money from third party spend;
Delivery of projects to time, quality and cost, realising benefits;
Getting the best from the government's £30bn estate;
Improving the sustainability of the government estate and operations, including reducing carbon emissions by 12.5% by 2010-11, through stronger performance management and guidance;
Helping achieve delivery of further government policy goals, including innovation, equality, and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs);
And driving forward the improvement of central government capability in procurement, project and programme management, and estates management through the development of people skills, processes and tools.
OGC provides policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, projects and estate management, and monitors and challenges departments' performance against these standards, grounded in an evidence base of information and assurance. It promotes and fosters collaborative procurement across the public sector to deliver better value for money and better public services; and it provides innovative ways to develop government's commercial and procurement capability, including leadership of the Government Procurement Service.
Media contact: Michael Dunning, Media Relations Manager, OGC T: 020 7271 1318 M: 07771 815245 E: michael.dunning@ogc.gsi.gov.uk
