FSA chief executive Emily Miles is to leave for a top role in Defra under the new government.
Miles took on the FSA job in 2019 and has led the organisation through a string of global crises, including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the fallout from Brexit.
Her new role as director general of food, biosecurity and trade was formerly held by David Kennedy, whose decision to leave Defra for a private sector job at accountants EY in 2023 was seen as a major blow to the department.
It is also a return to Defra for Miles. She held a series of senior posts at the government body including group director of strategy, and heading up its domestic response to Brexit, before joining the FSA.
Under her leadership, the FSA has launched a massive shake-up of food safety inspections to cope with cuts in local authority resources, and has been at the heart of responding to the recent e-coli outbreak.
Miles, who takes on the new role in September, said she was looking forward to returning to Defra but paid tribute to the FSA’s work.
“I’m delighted to take up this new challenge, but I’m really sad to be leaving the FSA,” she said. “I joined it in 2019, before Brexit, the pandemic, the Ukraine war and the cost of living crisis.”
Katie Pettifer, the FSA’s director of strategy and regulatory compliance, will step up to act as interim chief executive while it searches for a permanent replacement.
“The organisation has achieved a huge amount in these five years with a determined focus on delivering food you can trust. I know that I’m leaving the FSA in the strong hands of the FSA leadership team and our chair Professor Susan Jebb,” added Miles.
“I am very grateful for the hard work and dedication of my colleagues in the FSA, and look forward to continuing to work with them in my new role.”
Jebb said: “While we are sorry to lose Emily from the FSA, I am confident we will continue to work closely together. She will bring a wealth of knowledge to her new role from her time at the FSA, and I look forward to working together in the future to improve the food system.”
As reported earlier this week, Jebb’s role as FSA chair has been temporarily extended. She had been due to step down in June, but has been asked to stay on.
“This will enable the FSA to continue to provide an effective regulatory system to uphold the high food standards that are so important to us all,” said Jebb.
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