Robin Mountfield

Sir Robin Mountfield, KCB (16 October 1939 – 9 November 2011) was a British civil servant, who retired in 1999 from his most senior post as Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office.^[1]

Sir Robin Mountfield KCB
Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office
In office 1995–1999
Preceded by	Sir Richard Mottram
Succeeded by	Sir Brian Bender
Personal details
Born	(1939-10-16)16 October 1939
Died	9 November 2011(2011-11-09) (aged 72)
Spouse	Anne Newsham ​ (m. 1963⁠–⁠2011)​
Children	3 (including Helen)
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford

Early life and education

Mountfield was born on 16 October 1939. He attended Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby and then Magdalen College, Oxford.^[2]

Career

He joined the Ministry of Power in 1961. He rose to the rank of Deputy Secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry in 1984, where he served until 1992 when he transferred to HM Treasury. In 1995 he moved to the Cabinet Office as Permanent Secretary^[2] responsible for the Office of Public Service there (the remainder of the Office of Public Service and Science after the Office of Science and Technology transferred to DTI). In 1998, his role was re-cast as Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, in which he served until his retirement in 1999.

In retirement he served as a non-executive director for a number of private companies.^[2]

Personal life

In 1963, Mountfield married Anne Newsham. Together they had two sons and a daughter.^[2] His daughter, Helen Mountfield, is a barrister and the Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford.^[3]

He died on 9 November 2011.^[2]

Honours

Mountfield was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1988 Birthday Honours^[4] and was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order (KCB) in the 1999 New Year Honours shortly after his retirement.^[5]

Styles

• Mr Robin Mountfield (1939–1988)
• Mr Robin Mountfield CB (1998–1999)
• Sir Robin Mountfield KCB (1999–2011)

Offices held

Government offices
Preceded by Richard Mottram as Permanent Secretary of the Office of Public Service and Science	Permanent Secretary of the Office of Public Service, Cabinet Office 1995–1998	Succeeded by Himself as Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office
Preceded by Himself as Permanent Secretary of the Office of Public Service	Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office 1998–1999	Succeeded by Brian Bender CB