Director General, Strategy and Change, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Policy Leaders Fellow alumna, Centre for Science and Policy

Lucy Smith joined Defra as Director General for Strategy and Change in December 2020 having previously served in the Department for Education as Director General, COVID Response and Schools Recovery. Before this, she was Director General of the UK Governance Group in the Cabinet Office, responsible for the intergovernmental relations of the United Kingdom and constitution and devolution matters across the UK, including the government’s policy and approach to EU exit and devolution.

She was previously the Director of the Constitution Group in the Cabinet Office, with responsibility for constitutional policy and elections, including preparations for the EU referendum in 2016 and the General Election in 2017. From 2012 to 2015 she was Principal Private Secretary in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, as part of the coalition government.

Lucy previously worked in the Department for Education from 2004 to 2012, where she held a variety of roles, including as Director of Strategy and Performance from 2010 to 2012.