The Crown Commercial Service – the Cabinet Office agency which manages billions of pounds in government technology agreements – has picked Sam Ulyatt as the successor to the retiring boss Simon Tse

The Crown Commercial Service has appointed a new chief executive to replace retiring leader Simon Tse in the summer.

Sam Ulyatt, who is currently chief commercial officer at the Home Office, will start at CCS on 8 July to allow for a handover period before Tse retires. Ulyatt has experience at the CCS, having worked as its commercial director for buildings for four years before moving to the Home Office.

She said she is “delighted” to return to the executive agency as chief exec, and pledged to “shape and lead the organisation by listening, respecting, collaborating and trusting”.

“Key to this is connecting with the whole of the public sector and providing direction in which we all commit to deliver for stakeholders,” Ulyatt added.

CCS is an executive agency and trading fund of the Cabinet Office, established in its current guise in 2014 as the central purchasing body for the government and public sector. Among the many frameworks under the watch of the procurement body are numerous major tech buying vehicles – including some worth billions of pounds.

Related content

• CCS defends Digital Marketplace closure and pledges to ‘reinstate transparency’
• Cyber Essentials: Updated government procurement policy advises ‘alternative controls’ are required to secure legacy tech
• Suppliers urged to call out departments flouting new procurement guidelines

Tse, who has led the agency since 2018, said he is “really pleased to be handing the baton on to someone who knows and is passionate about CCS and will continue to live the values of the organisation”.

“I know she will be committed to driving value for our customers and ensuring that the CCS values of ‘listen, respect, collaborate and trust’ are embedded throughout the organisation,” he added. “With the new procurement regulations coming later this year, I have all faith in Sam’s ability to lead CCS at such an exciting time.”

Cabinet Office permanent secretary Cat Little said Ulyatt “has a wealth of experience in leading and finding solutions to complex commercial challenges”, while Gareth Rhys Williams, the government’s soon-to-depart chief commercial officer and CCS’s non-executive director, said he is “thrilled” by the appointment.

“CCS plays a vital role in the success of the wider commercial function and her combination of private sector background and her experience at the Home Office and from previously at CCS makes her ideally suited for this role,”he said. “Her energy, focus on the customer, and experience of negotiating major deals will all help CCS continue to build on the strong base that Simon has established.”

The job advert for the director general-level role offered a salary of between £164,000 and £227,000, plus performance-related pay worth up to 20%.