Clare Moriarty appointed Citizens Advice Chief Executive

Dame Clare Moriarty has been appointed Chief Executive of Citizens Advice for England and Wales. She will start on 26 April, taking the reins at a crucial time for the charity as it continues to support millions of people affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

A champion of diversity and inclusion, Clare was Permanent Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2019, and of the Department for Exiting the EU from 2019 until its closure in early 2020. Since leaving the civil service, she has been chairing the Health Foundation’s Covid-19 Impact Inquiry, and working with a range of organisations including Transport for London and the Bank of England.

Clare takes over from Alistair Cromwell, who has been Acting Chief Executive since Dame Gillian Guy stepped down in October. 

Warren Buckley, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Citizens Advice, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Clare to the Citizens Advice family. Clare is a strong, authentic and inclusive leader with unrivalled experience running large, complex organisations.

“Her expertise in transformation will help us build on the incredible progress we’ve already made towards providing advice to people over the phone and online, as well as strengthening our face-to-face offer for those who need it. 

“I’m looking forward to working with Clare to ensure that Citizens Advice continues to deliver for people at a time when they need our help more than ever - whoever they are, and whatever their problem.”

Clare Moriarty, incoming Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:

 “I’m very excited to be joining Citizens Advice at this important time. Citizens Advice has a proud history of helping people find their way, and is also thoroughly forward-looking. The way that local Citizens Advice services around the country have moved even further towards phone and online advice during the pandemic is truly impressive.

“Through my work with the Health Foundation, I’m acutely aware of how unevenly the effects of the pandemic have been felt. Many people are struggling, and the help that Citizens Advice offers will be more valuable than ever as we move forward.

“It’s a privilege to take the helm as Chief Executive and I look forward to bringing my passion for diversity and inclusion, and my experience of making change happen, to support the work of Citizens Advice across England and Wales in the years ahead.”

Over the past year the Citizens Advice service has given one-to-one advice to 2 million people - the vast majority of them remotely. In 2020, they helped 54% more people by phone, 83% more by chat, and 45% more by email compared to the previous year. Their online advice was viewed 62.8 million times.

Of the people that sought one-to-one help from Citizens Advice between September and December last year, 9 in 10 were positive about their experience. 6 in 10 said they felt less stressed, depressed or anxious as a result of the advice they received.

Clare Moriarty Biography 

Clare was a civil servant for nearly 35 years, latterly as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2019, and of the Department for Exiting the EU from 2019 until its closure in January 2020.  She held senior roles in the Department for Transport, as Director General for Corporate Services and Director General for Rail, and in the Ministry of Justice as Constitution Director. 

Clare studied maths at university and has a long-standing interest in science, technology and digital. She introduced civil service leaders to ‘unconferencing’ and championed the One Team Gov initiative dedicated to achieving reform through practical action.  

As Chair of the Civil Service Leadership and Talent Board Clare spearheaded work on growing the next generation of civil service leaders, including through the Leadership in Action framework. She champions diversity and inclusion with a focus on felt experience, speaking about the importance of valuing emotion and creating space for difference.

Since leaving the civil service in March 2020 Clare has been pursuing projects related to her interests in public policy, organisational change and leadership. She will continue to chair the Health Foundation’s Covid-19 Impact Inquiry until it reports later this year. 

Clare is a member of numerous advisory and governance boards including the Westminster Abbey Institute Council of Reference, the Advisory Council for the Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy and the Rail Connected Leaders Governance Board.  She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2020 Birthday Honours.

Notes to editors

1. Citizens Advice includes the national charity; the network of independent local Citizens Advice charities across England and Wales; the Citizens Advice consumer service; and the Witness Service.
2. Citizens Advice is the statutory consumer advocate for energy and post. We provide supplier performance information to consumers and policy analysis to decision makers.
3. The Citizens Advice Witness Service provides free, independent support for prosecution and defence witnesses in every criminal court in England and Wales.
4. Citizens Advice offers Pension Wise services at 500 locations in England and Wales.
5. Citizens Advice’s services are free, independent, confidential and impartial, and available to all regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
6. To get advice online or find your local Citizens Advice, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
7. For consumer advice, call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or 0808 223 1144 to talk in Welsh.
8. We helped 2.6 million people face to face, by phone, email and webchat in 2017-18. For service statistics see our monthly publication Advice trends.
9. Citizens Advice staff are supported by over 23,000 trained volunteers, working at over 2,500 locations in England and Wales.