The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has today (Monday, 30 June) announced the appointment of Emran Mian as the new Permanent Secretary of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Emran is currently Director General for Digital Technologies and Telecoms at DSIT, where he is responsible for programmes to make the UK one of the best places in the world to undertake AI research and to build an AI company, covering data use and access policy, cybersecurity policy and online safety.

He has previously held roles in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as a Director General for Regeneration, Housing and Planning, and Director General for Stronger Places, and at the Department for Education as Director General for Strategy and International.

Emran, replacing Sarah Munby, will lead the department at a critical time as the Government drives innovation and investment through the UK’s world-class science sector, and aims to harness new technologies to deliver growth and renewal for working people through the Plan for Change. 

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, said:

Emran will be an outstanding Permanent Secretary with exceptional experience and vision. I have had the pleasure of working with him closely since I became Secretary of State and he knows this department inside out. 

Under his leadership, DSIT will go from strength to strength in harnessing the power of science and technology to improve people’s lives across the UK, playing a central role in delivering our Plan for Change. 

I also want to place on record my thanks to and deep appreciation for Sarah Munby, not only for her personal support to me but for her service to the country at large during her years in the civil service. She has helped to navigate several of the most complex challenges facing the government of the day under five Prime Ministers and wherever she goes next will be extremely lucky to have her.

Cabinet Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald, said:

I congratulate Emran Mian on his appointment as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and I thank Sarah Munby for her leadership of the department since February 2023. 

Emran brings significant experience into this role from his time as Director General for Digital Technologies and Telecoms, and previous roles at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Education. 

He is well placed to take on the opportunities of this exciting post, and lead the Government’s delivery of the blueprint for modern digital government as part of the Plan for Change.

Emran Mian said:

I applied for this role because I am hugely optimistic about how science, technology and AI can improve lives, government services and economic growth. At this moment there is no cap on how ambitious we should be for our country. 

I am grateful to Sarah Munby for her leadership of DSIT since the department was created. It is a privilege to take the work forward with colleagues across the department and wider government, working closely with scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, businesses and civil society.

The appointment follows an external recruitment competition overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission.