Good risk and brain food: Five minutes with Clive Martin, head of the UK Government Risk Profession
In this sister series to our ‘Five minutes with’ interviews, we share insights from the civil and public service leaders who will speak at our Innovation 2025 conference. Taking place in London on 25 and 26 March, attendees will hear about how their peers are developing new approaches to policymaking and service delivery.
In this interview, Clive Martin, head of the UK Government Risk Profession based at the Treasury – who will speak in the session on Innovation in risk management – tells GGF about ‘good risk’, the piece of career advice he thinks you really should pass on, and his unusual hobby.
Click here to find out more and register for Innovation 2025
What are you most interested in discussing at Innovation 2025?
How we can find the best ways to understand and take good risks in pursuit of the opportunity that innovation promises. This is easy to say but is hard to do so I’m also keen to discuss smart ways to enable ‘organic’ and ‘inorganic’ progress underpinned by effective risk management.
What drew you to a career in the civil service?
The innovative creation of an inspiring new role which I think is unique in the world – head of the Government Risk Profession. Use my passion for risk management on the biggest challenges facing all of government? Yes, please!
What have you achieved in your career that you’re most proud of?
Rising through the ranks to become a full partner at EY, and everything that went with it, was certainly up there from a self-centred point of view. But if I’m really honest, making a difference to people in the public sector – by helping them be better at taking good risk for the benefit of the public – fills me with enormous pride that I think will be hard to beat.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given in your working life?
Future focus. The past is gone – all that really matters now is what you do next. It’s such an empowering and enabling mindset to adopt so pass it on!
What do you like most about working in the civil service?
The brain food! The sheer scale, complexity and near-impossibility of some of the challenges that need to be addressed, and the trade-offs that need to be made on things which matter so much to the public, stimulates fabulous intellectual and professional fulfilment.
Can you name one lesson or idea from abroad that’s helped you and your colleagues?
I find the work of Dr Warren Black – who is based in Australia – on risk, resilience and complex systems thinking in government and societal contexts very stimulating.
Are there any projects or innovations in the UK that might be valuable to your peers overseas?
How to shape a change programme to raise the game on taking good risk in pursuit of opportunity across departments and functions in a way which deals with complex organisational dynamics and the wants and needs of elected officials.
What attributes do you most value in people?
The ability to achieve change by taking pragmatic steps forward towards ambitious ideas; the ability to communicate with those who are not like you; energy, enthusiasm and the courage to lead with compassion.
Which three famous people, alive or dead, would you most like to invite to a dinner party?
Tony Blair, Burt Bacharach, Leonardo da Vinci.
Do you have any unusual hobbies?
I’m a playwright.
Click here to find out more and register for Innovation 2025
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