Secretary to Undercover Policing Inquiry appointed CEO of Parole Board

Cecilia French, who has more 25 years’ experience in a range of policy and operational delivery roles in central government, will take up the post on October 1.

The Parole Board said Ms French has “an impressive background in central government” and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role.

Ms French has worked on the Undercover Policing Inquiry, commissioned by then-Prime Minister Theresa May in 2015 to investigate allegations about the activities of undercover officers, since March 2019.

She began her career as a policy adviser in the Home Office and following a few years working as private Secretary to ministers, she became head of sentencing reform in the Criminal Justice Group for a number of years.

Ms French spent eight years working in a number of senior operational delivery roles in the then Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism and in 2012, was appointed Secretary to the Al-Sweady Public Inquiry, investigating reports of the torture and the murder of Iraqi civilians by the British Armed Forces.

She then headed up the Police Integrity Unit in the Home Office before becoming Director of Public Protection, responsible for delivery of the Government’s counter-extremism and violence against women and girls strategies.

The Parole Board said: “With Cecilia’s strong leadership skills and wide-ranging experience she will continue to develop the Parole Board as it prepares to implement the changes in the Victims and Prisoners Act.

“Her leadership experience will be invaluable as the Parole Board continues to protect the public and deliver fair decisions efficiently.”

Caroline Corby, chair of the Parole Board, said, “I am very much looking forward to working with Cecilia. With an impressive CV and a track record of delivery in senior positions, I am confident that Cecilia will provide excellent leadership to the important work of the Parole Board.”

The Parole Board said it would also like to put on record its “deepest thanks to Faith Geary for stepping up as interim chief executive since March 2024”.

“Faith will remain as interim chief executive until Cecilia joins next month,” it added. “Under Faith’s leadership, the Parole Board has halved the number of people awaiting a paper and oral hearing assessment and has set a strong foundation for the new chief executive.”