Lindy Cameron has been appointed Permanent Under-Secretary of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, becoming the first woman to hold the department’s top civil service position.
Cameron, currently the British High Commissioner to India, will take up the new role following an external recruitment process led by the independent Civil Service Commission. She will serve for a fixed tenure of five years.
She brings more than two decades of experience across international development, national security, diplomacy and crisis management. Cameron joined the Civil Service in 1998 and has held senior positions across the Department for International Development, the Foreign Office, the Northern Ireland Office, the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Defence.
Before becoming High Commissioner to India in April 2024, Cameron served as Chief Executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre from 2020 to 2024. She previously worked as Director-General at the Northern Ireland Office and held senior roles at the Department for International Development, including responsibility for country programmes.
As High Commissioner to India, Cameron has represented the UK during a period of expanding relations between the two countries. Her tenure included the conclusion of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and continued high-level engagement between the two governments.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband welcomed the appointment, highlighting Cameron’s experience across diplomacy, development and national security and describing her as a dynamic leader with experience across international postings. He also noted that she would become the FCDO’s first female Permanent Under-Secretary.
Cameron said she was proud to have the opportunity to lead the FCDO’s diplomats and development professionals, having served both at home and abroad since joining the Civil Service.
She is expected to leave her position in India in October before taking up her new responsibilities in London. Her appointment comes as the FCDO undergoes significant organisational and leadership changes, including the departure of her predecessor, Sir Olly Robbins.
Cameron’s appointment marks a significant milestone for the UK’s diplomatic and civil service leadership, placing a woman at the head of the department responsible for Britain’s foreign policy, international development and diplomatic network.
