The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of Lindy Cameron as the new Permanent Under-Secretary (PUS), at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Lindy is currently the British High Commissioner to the Republic of India. She has previously been the CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre and has held senior roles in the Northern Ireland Office and the Department for International Development.
The Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, said:
I am delighted that Lindy Cameron has been appointed as Permanent Under Secretary of the FCDO. Lindy brings enormous experience across the fields of diplomacy, development and national security, and a reputation for dynamic leadership in postings across the world, most recently as High Commissioner in India.
Lindy will lead an FCDO committed to promoting British values and interests by deploying the full talents of our amazing, dedicated and renowned staff, who it has been my privilege to get to know over the past couple of months.
I am especially pleased to welcome Lindy as the first female Permanent Under Secretary at the FCDO.
I’d also like to put on record my profound thanks to Nick Dyer for doing a brilliant job as Interim PUS.
Cabinet Secretary, Dame Antonia Romeo, said:
I am delighted to announce Lindy’s appointment as Permanent Under-Secretary for the FCDO. Lindy’s excellent track record in security and diplomacy, combined with her considerable experience in international development, makes her a great appointment to lead the FCDO to deliver its crucial diplomatic, development and national security priorities.
I would also like to thank Nick Dyer for his dedicated leadership of the department in the interim period.
Lindy Cameron said:
Having served at home and abroad with both DFID and FCO since joining the Civil Service in 1998, I couldn’t be prouder to have the opportunity to lead our amazing diplomats and development professionals as Permanent Secretary of the FCDO.
I’ve seen first hand what a difference we can make to every corner of the UK – delivering growth, security and opportunity, as we have done in partnership with India during my time here as High Commissioner. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved in India and I will be sad to leave, but I can’t wait to get started on this new challenge.
The appointment follows an external recruitment exercise chaired by the independent First Civil Service Commissioner.
Arrangements for appointing Lindy’s successor as High Commissioner to the Republic of India will be announced in due course.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- This is a Permanent Secretary level appointment, offered on a fixed tenure basis for five years.
- Lindy Cameron CB OBE has been British High Commissioner to the Republic of India since April 2024.
- Previously, Lindy was CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (2020-2024), following more than two decades of international development and national security policy and crisis management. Before that she served as Director-General in the Northern Ireland Office (2019-2020) and as Director General Country Programmes at the Department for International Development (2016-2019).
- Lindy is from Northern Ireland. After starting her career in the private sector, she joined the Department for International Development (DFID) in 1998, working as an adviser in Nigeria, Vietnam and the Balkans, before moving on to run DFID’s offices in Baghdad and Kabul. She led DFID humanitarian, conflict and Middle East policy after the Arab Spring. She has worked across government: for the Cabinet Office during the financial crisis; for the Foreign Office as the Head of the Provincial Reconstruction team in Helmand, Afghanistan; with the Ministry of Defence on their senior staff courses, and as head of the joint cross-government Stabilisation Unit.
- Lindy will remain High Commissioner to India until 19 October.