New MOD Permanent Secretary - It has been announced that Jon Thompson will become the new Permanent Secretary to the MoD following the departure of Ursula Brennan from the post in June 2012.    In January 2009 Mr Thompson, a Norfolk man, took up his current post as Director General of Finance at the MoD.

Jon Thompson was born in 1964 and started his career at Norfolk County Council, qualifying for the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in 1989. He then spent two years at Eagle Star before joining Ernst & Young's public sector practice.  Rejoining local government in 1997 Jon worked for North Somerset Council rising to Director of Finance and Resources.    In 2003 Jon joined Ofsted as its first Finance Director and in the spring of 2004 was appointed Director General of Finance at the Department of Education and Skills.    Following a Cabinet reshuffle in 2007 Jon led the creation of the Department for Children, Schools and Families and became Director General of Corporate Services.       Jon joined the Ministry of Defence in January 2009 to reform financial management and lead work to balance the Defence Budget. From 2008 to 2011 Jon was also the Head of the Government Finance Profession at Her Majesty's Treasury with responsibility for overall financial management standards across the Civil Service.