Bernadette Kelly
{{Short description|British senior civil servant}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dame Bernadette Kelly
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DCB}}
| image = Bernadette Kelly 2017 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Kelly in 2017
| office1 = Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport
| predecessor1 = Philip Rutnam
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1964|03|10}}
| nationality = British
| primeminister1 = Theresa May
Boris Johnson
Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak
Keir Starmer
| occupation = Civil servant
| term_start1 = 18 April 2017
| term_end1 =
}}
Dame Bernadette Mary Kelly, {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DCB}} (born 10 March 1964) is a British senior civil servant who has served as permanent secretary for the Department for Transport since 18 April 2017.
Early life
Kelly was born on 10 March 1964 to Edward and Teresa Kelly.{{cite journal|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-10000052|title=Kelly, Bernadette Mary, (born 10 March 1964), Permanent Secretary, Department for Transport, since 2017 - WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U10000052|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 |url-access=subscription}} Her father was a bus driver.{{Cite web|title=The sharp end of delivery: Interview with Bernadette Kelly|url=https://www.fda.org.uk/home/Newsandmedia/Features/bernadette-kelly-department-for-transport-permanent-secretary-interview.aspx|access-date=2020-06-14|website=www.fda.org.uk|language=en}} She was educated at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls in Birmingham, followed by the University of Hull. She gained an MBA at Imperial College, London.
Career
Kelly joined the Civil Service after graduating, and worked in the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Treasury, Cabinet Office and the Number 10 Policy Unit.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/bernadette-kelly|title=Bernadette Kelly CB - GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk}} She was a director general at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2010 until 2015, when she became director general for the Rail Group in the Department for Transport, a post she held until she was appointed permanent secretary for that department on 18 April 2017.{{cite web|last1=Johnstone|first1=Richard|title=Bernadette Kelly named as new DfT perm sec|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/bernadette-kelly-named-new-dft-perm-sec|website=Civil Service World|access-date=5 March 2018|date=18 April 2017}} Her promotion followed Philip Rutnam's move to the Home Office.{{cite web|url=https://www.transport-network.co.uk/Rail-boss-Kelly-moves-up-to-top-job-at-DfT/14001|title=Rail boss Kelly moves up to top job at DfT - The Transport Network|website=www.transport-network.co.uk}}
Kelly was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 2010 and Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to government.{{London Gazette|issue=63714|date=1 June 2022|page=B3|supp=y}} She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Hull in 2023.
On 19 March 2025, she announced she would be retiring in the summer after 39 years in the civil service.
References
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Category:Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for Transport
Category:Civil servants in HM Treasury
Category:Civil servants in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the Bath
Category:People educated at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls