Alice Perkins
{{Short description|British civil servant (born 1949)}}
{{for|the American writer, teacher and suffragist|Alice Jane Gray Perkins}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
File:Alice Perkins, CB, is the Chairman of the Post Office Ltd..jpg
Alice Elizabeth Perkins, CB (born May 1949){{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Appointments: Alice Perkins |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/1ZcDr7aS7qhVwgVhIlMPhy8U_Mg/appointments |access-date=10 June 2024 |website=Companies House}} is a British former civil servant. From 2011 to 2015, she was the chairman of Post Office Limited, a state-owned company,{{Cite web|url=http://www.royalmailgroup.com/news/2011/post-office-limited|title=News and press releases {{!}} Royal Mail Group|website=www.royalmailgroup.com|access-date=2 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103072645/https://www.royalmailgroup.com/news/2011/post-office-limited|archive-date=3 January 2018|url-status=dead}} during the years following the separation of the Post Office from the Royal Mail.{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/5/part/3/crossheading/postal-services|title=Postal Services Act 2011|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|others=Expert Participation|access-date=2 January 2018}}
Education
Born in Hampstead, Perkins was privately educated at North London Collegiate School for Girls,{{Cite web|url=http://www.nlcs.org.uk/|title=Welcome to North London Collegiate School|website=nlcs.org.uk|access-date=2 January 2018}} an independent school in northeast London, followed by St Anne's College at the University of Oxford,{{Cite web |url=http://www.st-annes.ox.ac.uk/about/distinguished-alumnae.html |title=St Anne's College, Oxford | Distinguished alumnae |access-date=4 November 2011 |archive-date=22 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922230142/http://www.st-annes.ox.ac.uk/about/distinguished-alumnae.html |url-status=dead }} from which she graduated in Modern History in 1971.
Career
Perkins joined the Civil Service in 1971. The early years of her career were spent in the Department of Health and Social Security.{{Cite web|url=https://www.investegate.co.uk/articlePrint.aspx?id=200503021107202302J|title=Taylor Nelson Sofres | Board Appointment | InvestEgate|website=www.investegate.co.uk}} In 1993, she moved to the Treasury as Director of Public Spending,http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=24337 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} where her priorities were defence, the intelligence agencies, aid, Foreign Office and agriculture spending. In 1998, she returned to the Department of Health as Director General for Corporate Management, responsible for administration of the Department.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/stocks|title=Stocks|website=Bloomberg.com}} In 2001, Perkins moved to the Cabinet Office to work as Director General, Corporate Development Group, responsible for human resources across government, top appointments and civil service reform, reporting direct to the Cabinet Secretary. In the 2002 Birthday Honours she was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).{{London Gazette
| issue = 56595
| date = 15 June 2002
| page = 2
| supp = 1
}}
She left the civil service in 2005.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/2009-10/weekly/030610/acts.htm |title=Oxford University Gazette, 3 June 2010: University Acts |access-date=10 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817102534/http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/2009-10/weekly/030610/acts.htm |archive-date=17 August 2010 |url-status=dead }} Subsequent part-time roles included work as an executive coach and partner in the coaching practice of the JCA Group.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2010 |title=Alice Perkins CB |url=http://www.jcagroup.net/images/Alice_Perkins.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425153834/http://www.jcagroup.net/images/Alice_Perkins.pdf |archive-date=25 April 2012 |website=JCA Group |via=Internet Archive}} She was an external member of the council of the University of Oxford from 2006, and a member of the Business Advisory Council of the Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford.{{cite web |title=Business Advisory Forum |url=http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/corporate/baf/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605073722/http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/corporate/baf/ |archivedate=5 June 2008 |accessdate=2 August 2008 |publisher=Saïd Business School}}
In early 2006, Perkins joined the board of the airports operator BAA plc,{{Cite web|url=https://www.investegate.co.uk/article.aspx?id=20060301140632PC318|title=Investegate |BAA PLC Announcements | BAA PLC: Director Declaration|website=www.investegate.co.uk}} until its takeover by the Spanish firm Ferrovial later the same year.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5050932.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=BAA agrees to Ferrovial takeover | date=6 June 2006}} She has also served as a non-executive director on the board of Littlewoods (1997–2001){{Cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=20931398&privcapId=793238&previousCapId=793238&previousTitle=TNS%20Group%20Holdings%20Ltd.|title=Stocks}}{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} and TNS (the global market information company) where she was also chair of the Remuneration Committee from 2005 until its takeover by WPP in 2008.
=Post Office Chairman=
Perkins was appointed chairman of the board of Post Office Limited in July 2011, "marking the first step on the road to building an independent Board for the Post Office".{{cite web|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02154540/filing-history/MzA4NDMyMzM3NmFkaXF6a2N4/document|title=Group of companies' accounts made up to 25 March 2013|accessdate=27 May 2024}} She was in post during a critical period of the British Post Office scandal, chairing a Post Office sub-committee, codenamed Project Sparrow, which in April 2014 decided to sack independent forensic accountants Second Sight who had found bugs in the Horizon IT system. This decision was taken with the full knowledge of the government.
Second Sight played a key role in exposing the scandal, finding flaws in the Horizon computer system which generated false evidence of cash shortfalls at sub-post offices, leading to wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters. Hundreds of sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly prosecuted after faulty computer software calculated money was missing from post office branches. Many went to prison and some took their own lives because of the action taken against them by the Post Office.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68079300 | title=Post Office accused of cover-up over secret Horizon documents | work=BBC News | date=26 January 2024 }}{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56718036 | title=Post Office Horizon scandal: Why hundreds were wrongly prosecuted | work=BBC News | date=21 April 2021 }} Perkins gave evidence to the public inquiry into the scandal over two days in June 2024.{{Cite web |last=Flinders |first=Karl |date=5 June 2024 |title=Post Office chair was aware of Horizon concerns from day one but failed to act |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366587816/Post-Office-chair-was-aware-of-Horizon-concerns-from-day-one |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=Computer Weekly |language=en}}
Perkins stepped down from her Post Office role in July 2015.{{Cite web |last=Lea |first=Robert |date=2024-06-10 |title=Woman who put her stamp on Post Office quits |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/woman-who-put-her-stamp-on-post-office-quits-3bp53h86xg7 |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=The Times |language=en}} She had joined the BBC executive board as a non-executive director in April 2014.{{Cite web |date=28 March 2014 |title=Alice Perkins CB to join the BBC as Non-Executive Director |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/alice-perkins-non-executive-director/ |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=BBC Media Centre |language=en}}
Personal life
Perkins has been married to Jack Straw since 1978{{cite news |date=14 January 2001 |title=Cabinet's own marriage failures force retreat on traditional wedlock |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1314756/Cabinet%27s-own-marriage-failures-force-retreat-on-traditional-wedlock.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301234129/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1314756/Cabinet%27s-own-marriage-failures-force-retreat-on-traditional-wedlock.html |archive-date=1 March 2009 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}} and they have two children. Their son Will has worked as a civil servant, political blogger and charity executive.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/evidence/witn00740100-alice-perkins-witness-statement Alice Perkins - witness statement and transcript], Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, 5 June 2024
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Alice}}
Category:Civil servants in the Department of Health and Social Security
Category:Civil servants in HM Treasury
Category:Civil servants in the Ministry of Health (United Kingdom)
Category:Civil servants in the Cabinet Office
Category:People educated at North London Collegiate School
Category:Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford
Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath