New Chief Operating Officer appointed to support transformation

We have appointed Lisa Commane as Chief Operating Officer (COO), strengthening our executive team as we deliver the property estate needed for modern government.

Lisa begins her role at the end of October and as COO will be responsible for coordinating the delivery of our ambitious programme, and overseeing corporate services, including teams working across commercial operations, data and technology systems, security, planning and performance, HR and legal as well as marketing and communications.

Currently the Chief Operating Officer of Ofwat, Lisa has over 20 years’ senior experience in public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Having trained in accountancy at management consultancy firm KPMG, her previous roles include working at Deloitte and then at Coventry City Council, where she gained extensive experience of developing and implementing overarching change strategies encompassing finance, people, customer, property, data and IT. Lisa is also a board member at the Methodist Homes (MHA), the UK’s largest charitable provider of care for older people.

Lisa joins the Government Property Agency (GPA) as we lead one of the most ambitious workplace transformation programmes in the UK, delivering a smaller, better-connected and better quality, greener property estate to support the work of the Civil Service and bring departmental teams closer to the communities they serve.

Since launching in April 2018, we have taken responsibility for nearly 1m sq. m of the Government’s portfolio – managing and maintaining properties and acting as an expert partner to government departments on portfolio planning and workplace services including inclusive design, property technology, sustainability and workplace experience. This expertise has seen our Stephenson Street Office in Birmingham awarded as the best employee workplace experience in the UK’s public sector, and within the top 2 per cent of global workplaces.

We are also delivering the Government Hubs Programme, where recent milestones have included starting construction on the First Street Hub in Manchester, and opening the our fifth hub in Peterborough.

Lisa Commane, incoming COO, said:

“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining the GPA at this important time in the agency’s growth and development. I’m looking forward to collaborating with the established Executive team and others to deliver on our ambition for growth across the UK, the green agenda and to play our part in transforming the civil service.”

Steven Boyd, Chief Executive Officer, the GPA said:

“Lisa joining us as our new COO further strengthens our executive team as we continue our transformation journey across the Government’s office estate. Lisa’s expertise in leading transformational change will help us deliver the outcomes that our clients and customers need, allowing government departments to continue delivering for the communities they serve.”