Our new CEO, Sam Ulyatt sets out her vision and priorities for CCS

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background and your journey to becoming CEO for Crown Commercial Service (CCS)?

I started my working career as an apprentice in chemical manufacturing and so I didn’t ‘grow up’ in the civil service. I joined in 2016 – as a Commercial Director for CCS. Because I’d come from the private sector I had to quickly learn the new language that you encounter when you first start in the Civil Service – for example, what is a private office and a ministerial submission. Fortunately, I was lucky to have supportive colleagues who taught me everything I needed to know. CCS was and still is an environment where people feel listened to and respected and I’m proud to be part of that.

I was leading the estates pillar, responsible for construction, facilities management and energy – supporting multiple government departments. Because I’d previously worked in the nuclear sector, energy and water utilities and also in pharmaceuticals and chemical manufacturing, walking into the Civil Service and being accountable for that infrastructure spend was a natural move for me. 

I was with CCS for three and a half years and then I moved across to become Chief Commercial Officer at the Home Office. I was there for four years and played a pivotal role in addressing numerous commercial and operational challenges and was responsible for leading the transformation of the team. It was a great experience with a talented team, but when the CEO opportunity came up at CCS I knew I had to go for it – it was a purpose I felt passionate to lead.

What was it about this new role that tempted you to return to CCS? How has it changed in the four years you’ve been away?

Working for CCS is the opportunity to make a difference to UK citizens and drive waste out of public sector spending through clear missions and utilising commercial skills to ensure this happens. 

I see CCS as a systems integrator across government – its function is to apply commercial expertise and to challenge if money is being spent with due diligence. 

I think it’s evident that CCS is really proud of its people and its mission, in particular the support it provided across government during the pandemic, including working with DHSC Test and Trace to provide 48 COVID-19 testing sites across Liverpool. I can also see its openness to change and innovation – in the four years since I’ve been away I think there’s some things we need to do more of, some we need to do less of. 

It’s been great to see new people since I came back, and in my capacity as CEO I’m focused on how I can allow all these great people to do their job to the best of their ability.

What will you bring to your leadership of the organisation?

I bring a style of leadership that empowers and enables people to bring their true selves to work, to really be themselves. I want to bring the best out in people through diversity of thought and experience and being a leader is about creating the environment for all.  I really do practise the values of CCS, and one of those values is listening. Listening to and understanding each other brings mutual respect. 

Working for the Home Office I also have a customer perspective. I know what it is like to walk in their shoes and I am confident that we can better support the commercial colleagues in departments and the wider public sector. 

How will you build on Simon Tse’s leadership?

Simon Tse has set down solid foundations. We’ve come such a long way in seven years – from £430 million of commercial benefits for customers to £4.9 billion. 

I’m planning to accelerate in certain areas, for example building on customer and citizen focus, and on making sure CCS is simpler to deal with and our agreements are easier to use. I’m not shy of making any decisions that need to be made and keen to collaborate across government to ensure outcomes are achieved and focused.

Digitalisation is a real opportunity. We need to bring strategic insights into markets for the customers that we serve to enable them to buy smarter and better. 

We’ve got the people and the skills to show our worth across government – what an opportunity. We are all custodians of public money. We’ve focused and done well on the spend, now we need to make the transition from spend into increasing value and what measures we will use for this in a way that is meaningful for our customers.

What is your vision for the organisation over the next ten years and where will you start?

I want to take CCS to the next level and for it to transition over the next ten years from an organisation that provides commercial agreements to one that provides insights and does things differently, really attracting the brightest and best suppliers and employees into government. 

My starting point is a passion for evidenced data to support making decisions which are informed and have a real customer focus. We are at the heart of all the government missions and can support the integration alongside the whole commercial function. We should be a critical delivery engine into making our country and our public services an envy across the globe. 

Based on your first few weeks in the role, what do you see as your biggest challenges over the next twelve months?

The fiscal position of the UK is incredibly tight, so I think the challenge for the government is to make sure it’s making the right long-term decisions. As a country we may have to spend to save. It’s something that we need to be supporting as an organisation.

We also need to create the best environment to work in. As an organisation we have so much talent and potential. It’s important that we nurture the next generation of talent as an organisation and build an environment in which people can use their skills to unlock innovation in the public sector.

I understand you’re based in the Northwest. Where do you work from when you’re there? How do you balance your time between the Northwest and Whitehall?

I live in Cheshire, and as a working mum I’m very purposeful about how I spend my time. From a productivity point of view, I make sure that I’m in Whitehall when I need to be.

Eighty five per cent of CCS people are based outside of London and, besides Liverpool, there are also offices in Newport, Birmingham and Norwich, and I split my time between them. Simon Tse was based in Wales so I’m continuing the tradition of a CEO working outside of London. 

At one time, people might have felt that living in the north of England limited their career progression within the Civil Service. I believe that just because of where you live it shouldn’t thwart talent. I lead the Northern commercial council that supports all the commercial roles based in the north of England as part of the commercial function, and take pride in supporting careers inside and outside of London.

As a commercial function, we’ve done well in supporting local employment. I’m supportive of Government hubs wherever they may be. I’m looking at the functional agenda within that space. 

How will CCS support the new government’s missions?

CCS is a key enabler to the government’s mission. With our skill sets and values we are the people that can help and support getting rid of waste and help get the country back on track.

In each of the mission areas – growth, opportunity, energy, an NHS fit for the future and safer streets –  CCS will be at the heart of what this government does. We exist to support the missions of the government and the departments who deliver. The majority of what we do links to all the missions. It’s a new chapter for us and it feels like an opportunity to better support public services. 

What will the future of public sector procurement look like, in light of the Procurement Act 2023?

I’m excited. I see CCS as being a centre of excellence for the new regulations. A big key around this is around transparency, it’s about making sure that there is transparency for suppliers of all sizes. I think the system will provide that transparency and we can better support the whole public sector and supply chains. 

As a key constituent of the commercial function, we will be at the forefront of leading the changes that will come from the new procurement regulations. 

What are your thoughts on the recent National Audit Office report into efficiency in government procurement of common goods and services?

I read the report as an incoming CEO. It’s fair and has some good observations and recommendations. We will continue to work on the recommendations. At the end of the day we all have the same end goal in mind – getting value for the public sector. 

Download our digital brochure to learn more about our commercial agreements and how we help our customers bring power to their procurement.

First published in Civil Service World on 23rd September 2024.