Alex Chisholm

Alex Chisholm was born on 2 January 1968 in London to parents Ian Duncan Chisholm and Annabel Chisholm.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-258764|title=Chisholm, Alex, (born 2 Jan. 1968), Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, since 2016|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|year=2013|language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U258764|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4|access-date=2020-04-21}} His father was a consultant psychiatrist and his mother was a daughter of the 2nd Baron Windlesham.{{Cite web|url=https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/ian-duncan-chisholm|title=Ian Duncan Chisholm {{!}} RCP Museum|website=history.rcplondon.ac.uk|access-date=2020-04-21}}Burke's Peerage, Windlesham. He was privately educated at Downside School before studying history at Merton College, Oxford, and a Master of Business Administration degree at INSEAD.Department for Business, Innovation & Skills [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/press-release-chief-executive-designate-appointed-to-the-competition-and-markets-authority press release], 8 January 2013.

Chisholm began work as a civil servant in 1990, working at the Department of Trade and Industry and Office of Fair Trading (OFT) until 1997. He specialised in competition policy and the media, communications and financial services sectors.

He then worked for three years for Pearson plc and the Financial Times, before spending some years working for technology companies, {{proper name|eCountries}} Inc and Ecceleration Ltd. He also founded and ran Heritage Bulbs, a company specialising in the provision of rare and historic bulbs.Sandy Mitchell, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3323404/Meetings-with-remarkable-bulbs.html Meetings with remarkable bulbs], The Daily Telegraph, 11 September 2004 (accessed on 11 February 2013).

In 2007 Chisholm was appointed as a commissioner of the Commission for Communications Regulation in Ireland, becoming its chair in February 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/alex-chisholm|title=Alex Chisholm|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=4 March 2016}} He left the role to become the first chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the United Kingdom, with his appointment announced on 8 January 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-competition-authority-completes-leadership-team|title=New competition authority completes leadership team – Press releases|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=4 March 2016}} The CMA was formally launched on 1 October 2013 and became fully operational on 1 April 2014. It brought together most of the responsibilities of the former OFT and the former Competition Commission. Chisholm, after taking up his post, was responsible for merging these two bodies and streamlining their operations.How we are revitalising the magic of markets to drive the growth we need, Alex Chisholm, 3 April 2014, CityAm [http://www.cityam.com/article/1396462454/how-were-revitalising-magic-markets-drive-growth]

In 2014, the CMA began an inquiry into the banking sector, which was opposed by major banks.{{Cite news|last=Treanor|first=Jill|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/06/britain-big-four-banks-competition-investigation|title=Free banking in the firing line as competition inquiry launches|date=2014-11-06|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} The authority found that HSBC and First Trust Bank had broken competition rules.{{Cite news|last=Bachelor|first=Lisa|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/oct/22/hsbc-first-trust-bank-guilty-breaching-competition-rules|title=HSBC and First Trust Bank guilty of breaching competition rules|date=2014-10-22|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} During a talk to the Institute of Directors, he defended the existence of regulators because "some market participants can ruin it for everybody" and that Bitcoin provided "welcome competition".{{Cite news|last=Ralph|first=Alex|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/competition-chief-says-bitcoin-can-liberate-the-oppressed-pp87ch86kk8|title=Competition chief says bitcoin can liberate the oppressed|newspaper=The Times|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en|issn=0140-0460}} In 2015, Chisholm wrote in a Financial Times article that proposed taxi regulations by Transport for London, following protests against ride-sharing firm Uber, would "artificially restrict competition".{{Cite news|last1=Kollewe|first1=Julia|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/04/uber-app-valued-62-billion-general-motors|title=Uber fundraising drive values firm higher than General Motors|date=2015-12-04|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-21|last2=Topham|first2=Gwyn|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news|last=Topham|first=Gwyn|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/02/uber-competition-watchdog-tfl-regulation-battle|title=Uber backed by competition watchdog in TfL regulation battle|date=2015-12-02|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} In 2016 he announced a CMA report that advocated abolishing passenger rail franchising to allow different companies to run services on the same routes.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/08/competition-regulator-backs-scrapping-of-rail-franchises|title=Competition regulator backs scrapping of rail franchises|date=2016-03-08|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2020-04-21}}

Chisholm was appointed as permanent secretary to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in 2016, and continued as permanent secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) after it was created nine days later in September 2016 by merging DECC and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.{{Cite web|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/beis-perm-sec-responds-after-staff-raise-concerns-over-new-departments-identity|title=BEIS perm sec responds after staff raise concerns over new department's identity|website=civilserviceworld.com|access-date=2020-04-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/interview/interview-beis-perm-sec-alex-chisholm-merging-decc-and-bis-industrial-strategy|title=Interview: BEIS perm sec Alex Chisholm on merging DECC and BIS, the Industrial Strategy, and the Brexit challenge|website=civilserviceworld.com|access-date=2020-04-21}} His appointment was criticised by OVO Energy founder Stephen Fitzpatrick who said that a CMA inquiry into the energy industry that was run while he was chief executive was "subjected to lobbying from the big six" that resulted in reforms that The Times described as "watered down".{{Cite news|last=Fortson|first=Danny|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/article/energy-bosses-slam-watchdog-chiefs-move-to-run-ministry-t787lg9wl|title=Energy bosses slam watchdog chief's move to run ministry|newspaper=The Times|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en|issn=0140-0460}} The review opposed the introduction of energy price caps, which BEIS introduced in 2019 while Chisholm was its permanent secretary.{{Cite news|last=Peachey|first=Kevin|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46720908|title=Energy price cap comes into force|date=2019-01-01|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|last=Osborne|first=Alistair|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/article/eurasian-natural-resources-corp-tests-limits-of-virtue-x2fgbc5sb|title=Eurasian Natural Resources Corp tests limits of virtue|newspaper=The Times|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en|issn=0140-0460}} In November 2024 he was questioned by the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry on his role in resolving the litigation with subpostmasters while at the Department. {{Cite web |date=2024-11-07 |title=WITN00180100 Sir Alex Chisholm KCB - Witness Statement |url=https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/evidence/witn00180100-sir-alex-chisholm-kcb-witness-statement |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry |language=en}}

In April 2020 he was appointed as chief operating officer of the civil service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, succeeding John Manzoni who had served as chief executive of the civil service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary. The role, as the civil service's "second in command", includes leading reform of the civil service and advising on the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite news|last=Wright|first=Oliver|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/alex-chisholm-appointed-to-oversee-civil-service-reforms-hswhgxqmd|title=Alex Chisholm appointed to oversee civil service reforms|newspaper=The Times|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en|issn=0140-0460}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/chisholm-named-civil-service-chief-operating-officer-lead-new-reform-drive|title=Chisholm named civil service chief operating officer to lead new reform drive|website=civilserviceworld.com|access-date=2020-04-21}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/30/ex-officials-with-experience-of-crises-recalled-to-whitehall|title=Ex-officials with experience of crises recalled to Whitehall|date=2020-03-30|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2020-04-21}} He began the new role on 14 April 2020.{{Cite web |last=Payne |first=Sebastian |date=2020-03-30 |title=Senior civil servant chosen to oversee Whitehall reforms |url=https://www.ft.com/content/850f8e29-f25b-4823-871f-61fc02fd2fd2 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2020-04-21 |website=Financial Times}} In February 2024 it was announced that Chisholm would be succeeded by Cat Little.{{Cite web |title=The Cabinet Secretary has appointed Cat Little as the new Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-cabinet-secretary-has-appointed-cat-little-as-the-new-permanent-secretary-to-the-cabinet-office |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}

Chisholm was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for public service.{{London Gazette|issue=64082|supp=y|page=B3|date=17 June 2023}}

Chisholm married Eliza Pakenham, daughter of Thomas Pakenham and granddaughter of the 7th Earl of Longford (Frank Longford), in 1993.{{Cite news|last=Burns|first=John|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/atticus-court-case-is-a-bone-of-contention-for-british-mandarin-alex-chisholm-nhpplrv7m|title=Atticus: Court case is a bone of contention for British mandarin Alex Chisholm|newspaper=The Times|access-date=2020-04-21|language=en|issn=0140-0460}} They have three sons and live in London. He has been a trustee of Breadline Africa, an international charity, since 2003, and served as its deputy chair.

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Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of Merton College, Oxford

Category:INSEAD alumni

Category:Irish civil servants

Category:20th-century British civil servants

Category:21st-century Irish civil servants

Category:People educated at Downside School

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath