His executive career spans senior roles at BP, including CEO of Refining & Marketing (2002-2007) and CEO of Gas & Power (2001-2002). In 2007, he became President & CEO of Talisman Energy (2007-2012), steering the business into shale gas and new markets.

In public service, Sir John was appointed CEO of the Major Projects Authority (2014), then made history as the first CEO of the UK Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office (2014-2020). He led a landmark transformation of Whitehall, enhancing transparency in delivery and central leadership capabilities.

He brings deep cross-sector expertise in:

• Governance of complex institutions – board leadership across energy, national infrastructure, defence, and consumer goods

• Energy & infrastructure strategy – executing large-scale refinery, gas, and energy operations and strategic capital reallocation

• Public sector transformation – leading cross-government reforms, functional modernisation, and a delivery-centric culture

• Crisis & risk oversight – managing legacy safety incidents, government projects, Brexit preparation, and national security mandates

Sir John trained in civil and petroleum engineering at Imperial College London, later earning an MSc in Management as a Sloan Fellow at Stanford. Knighted in 2020 for public service, he embodies disciplined execution, strategic clarity, and the rare ability to bridge industry, government, and institutional systems.