Dear Colleagues

It is being announced today that Willy Rickett will be retiring at the end of September.

Willy has over 30 years service in the civil service since starting his career in the Department of Energy in 1975. He has held posts in a number of departments, including the Department of Transport, Cabinet Office, the Department of the Environment and as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. He has been Director General of Energy since 2006 and has made a huge contribution to the development of energy and climate change policy both in BERR and the first year of DECC.

I have worked with Willy for many years, and I am hugely personally grateful to him for his support and wisdom throughout that time. The fact that DECC has made such great progress so quickly owes a great deal to his input. I know the Secretary of State shares that view.  The White Paper published last week builds on the foundation Willy has established as Director General in driving forward the trinity of renewables, nuclear and clean coal, and positioning Energy Markets and Infrastructure Group as a delivery and deployment force, working closely with industry.

I know many of us will wish to mark Willy’s retirement and we will be saying more about opportunities to do this nearer the time.

Recruitment of his successor will begin immediately in order to minimise any gap before a successor arrives.  We intend to advertise across Whitehall and the wider external market.