SETTLING into a new job is always challenging – so imagine how civil servant Ravi Chand felt when he joined his new Cabinet Office role during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Before that Chand worked as the chief people officer at the Department for International Development (DFID), holding responsibility for people, operations, IT and systems, estates and change.

Now he works at the Cabinet Office as the programme director place for growth and beyond. He is part of a relatively new team which seeks to relocate civil service roles out of London to the other regions of the UK.

As well as familiarising himself with his new responsibilities and team, Chand had to also adapt to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Used to a hectic schedule, he typically spent much of his time travelling to and from meetings in the capital.

The aim is to relocate thousands of jobs by 2030, a goal which will surely be achieved with Chand – who boasts an impressive professional career in government – at the helm.

Chand first began working for the government in 2006, when he joined the Home Office as the Head of Equality and Diversity Directorate. In 2012, he switched to a position as the Head of Capability, Talent and Diversity in the ministerial department.

Following his Home Office role, Chand was appointed the HR director at HM Revenue and Customs with responsibility for workforce management of its 69,000 staff. He became known for transforming the paper-based system into the digitally savvy customer-centric organisation it is today.

Prior to becoming a civil servant, he worked within the police services. Having experienced “all walks of life and some pretty hair-raising situations,” the former bobby spent more than 14 years with the Bedfordshire police.

Reflecting on his years of service, Chand says