{{short description|British civil servant (born 1961)}} {{Use British English|date=April 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Philip Rycroft | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100%|country=GBR|CB}} | image = Philip_Rycroft_2017.jpg | office = Permanent Secretary for the<br>Department for Exiting the European Union | term_start = October 2017 | term_end = March 2019 | prime_minister = Theresa May | 1blankname = Sec. of State | 1namedata = David Davis<br>Dominic Raab<br>Stephen Barclay | predecessor = Olly Robbins | successor = Clare Moriarty | office3 = Second Permanent Secretary at the<br>Cabinet Office | term_start3 = June 2015 | term_end3 = October 2017 | prime_minister3 = David Cameron<br>Theresa May | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|5|22|df=yes}} | birth_place = Lindridge, Worcestershire, England | occupation = Civil servant | alma_mater = Wadham College, Oxford }} '''Philip John Rycroft''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|PhD}} (born 22 May 1961) is a British civil servant who served as the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union from 2017 to 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Who's Who |title=RYCROFT, Philip John |id = U4000112| edition = online|date=2023-12-01|access-date=2024-10-20 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/philip-rycroft|title=Philip Rycroft |website=UK Government|access-date=2016-03-03}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Rycroft was born on 22 May 1961.<ref name=":0" /> He was educated at The Leys School, then an all-boys private school in Cambridge. He studied at Wadham College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree: as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon). He remained at the University of Oxford to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree.<ref name=":0" /> His doctoral thesis was titled "Church, chapel and community in Craven, 1764–1851", and was completed in 1988.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rycroft |first1=Philip John |title=Church, chapel and community in Craven, 1764-1851. |url=https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.236145 |website=E-Thesis Online Service |publisher=The British Library Board |accessdate=12 April 2019 |date=1988}}</ref>

== Career == Rycroft joined the Scottish Office in 1989. He took a number of roles in agriculture, including being seconded into the Cabinet of Sir Leon Brittan in the European Commission from 1995 to 1997. With the passing of the Scotland Act 1998, Rycroft moved to become Deputy Head of the new Scottish Executive's Policy Unit in 1999.<ref name=":0" />

Rycroft left the service in 2000 to work as Public Affairs Manager for Scottish & Newcastle plc., returning two years later as Head of the Schools Group for the Scottish Executive until 2006. He then worked as Head of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department for a year before being promoted to be the Director-General for Education at the Executive in 2007, during which time it became the Scottish Government.<ref name=":0" />

In 2009, Rycroft transferred back to work for the British government as Director-General for Business and Innovation at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, later becoming Director-General for Innovation and Enterprise and Chief Executive of the Better Regulation Executive.<ref name=":0" />

In 2011 Rycroft again left the service, serving for a year as Director for Corporate Affairs at Hutchison Whampoa. He then became the Director-General of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Office in 2012, where he served until the general election in May 2015. Thereafter he became the Second Permanent Secretary and Head of the newly-formed UK Governance Group.<ref name=":1" /> As of September 2015, Rycroft was paid a salary of between £155,000 and £159,999, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492289/150K_senior_salaries.csv/preview|title=Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015|date=2015-12-17|website=UK Government|access-date=2016-02-28|archive-date=4 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504113001/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492289/150K_senior_salaries.csv/preview|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2016, Rycroft moved to the new Department for Exiting the European Union as its Second Permanent Secretary, whilst retaining his role heading the UK Governance Group.<ref name=":1" /> In October 2017, when Olly Robbins was moved to Brussels to personally negotiate with the European Commission, Rycroft became the Permanent Secretary.<ref name=":0" />

In March 2019, it was announced that Rycroft would take early retirement on 29 March 2019, the scheduled date for the UK to leave the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-philip-rycroft-brexit-department-14100323|title=Philip Rycroft: Brexit Department chief set to retire aged 57 - on Brexit Day|date=2019-03-07|website=Mirror|access-date=2019-03-07}}</ref> He was replaced by Claire Moriarty.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Appointment of new Permanent Secretary at DExEU|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-new-permanent-secretary-at-dexeu|access-date=2021-08-26|website=UK Government|language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life == Rycroft is married with two sons.<ref name=":0" /> In the New Year Honours for 2014, Rycroft was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, "''For services to the UK's Devolved and Coalition Governments''".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/60728/supplements/1.htm|title=''The London Gazette'': (Supplement) no. 60728 p.1|date=31 December 2013}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2015/07/29/devolution-and-you/ An official blog by Rycroft about devolution]

{{S-start}} {{S-gov}} {{s-new|office }} {{s-ttl | title = Director-General, Education,<br />Scottish Government | years = 2007–2009 }} {{s-aft | after = Leslie Evans }} {{s-bef | before = Jitinder Kohli }} {{s-ttl | title = Director-General, Innovation and Enterprise and<br />Chief Executive of the Better Regulation Executive,<br />Department for Business, Innovation and Skills | years = 2009–2011 }} {{s-aft | after = Graham Turnock }} {{s-bef | before = Chris Wormald }} {{s-ttl | title = Director-General of the<br />Deputy Prime Minister’s Office,<br />Cabinet Office | years = 2012–2015 }} {{s-non | reason = No Deputy Prime Minister }} {{s-new|office }} {{s-ttl | title = Head of UK Governance Group and<br />Second Permanent Secretary,<br />Cabinet Office | years = June 2015– }} {{s-inc }} {{s-new|office }} {{s-ttl | title = Second Permanent Secretary,<br />Department for Exiting the European Union | years = 2016–October 2017 }} {{s-non | reason = Post eliminated }} {{s-bef | before = Olly Robbins }} {{s-ttl | title = Permanent Secretary,<br />Department for Exiting the European Union | years = October 2017–March 2019 }} {{s-aft | after = Clare Moriarty }} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rycroft, Philip John}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:People educated at The Leys School Category:Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford Category:Civil servants in the Scottish Office Category:Civil servants in the Scottish Government Category:Civil servants in the Cabinet Office Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Civil servants in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills