New Chief Executive for the Insolvency Service

The Insolvency Service has appointed Dr Richard Judge as its new Chief Executive. He takes over from Stephen Speed who has been the Chief Executive for over four years and is moving on to become the Director of the Energy Development Unit at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Richard joins the Insolvency Service (an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) from Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, an agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) where he has been Chief Executive since February 2007.

Prior to this he had a varied career in industry that spanned the nuclear, rail and environmental sectors in the UK and internationally, building on his engineering background. He has an established track record in public and private sectors of leading highly skilled teams through change to improve performance and to enhance customer focus. His wider contributions across the civil service include a six-month role as Interim Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency in 2010. Richard has extensive Board experience and is a Chartered Director.

Bernadette Kelly, Director General at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), welcomes Richard to the role: “Richard brings a huge range of skills and relevant experience which will be invaluable to the Insolvency Service over the coming years as it tackles a difficult restructuring process in the face of a changing insolvency market”.

Richard says he is particularly looking forward to meeting people across the Insolvency Service to understand their aspirations and concerns as it sets about tackling tough issues: “I will also be keen to engage with a wide range of stakeholders in taking forward our plans to create a more robust, flexible and efficient Service for the future.’

Richard will take up post on 30th July and in the meantime, Graham Horne, Deputy Inspector General and Director of Official Receiver Services, will be interim Chief Executive.