Paul Kissack

Paul Kissack currently serves as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since October 2025. Prior to this role, Paul was Group Chief Executive at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation from August 2020 to September 2025 and held the position of Director General at the Department of Health and Social Care for a brief period in April-August 2020. Paul's experience includes serving as Director General at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Deputy Chief Executive at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, and various leadership roles within the Cabinet Office and the Department for Education. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Warwick and a Master of Philosophy in History from the University of Cambridge.