After graduating from Cambridge, Richard was called to the Bar but, rather than practise, entered the Board of Trade as a civil servant in 1966. He subsequently served in a number of departments including 12 years in the Department of Energy. He headed the Economic Secretariat in the Cabinet Office under Margaret Thatcher from 1987-90 and after two years in the Treasury was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Department of the Environment in 1992. He became Permanent Under Secretary of the Home Office in 1994 and Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service in January 1998.
On retiring in September 2002 he became Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, a position which he held for 10 years. He is now a Life Fellow of the College. He was a non-executive director of BskyB from 2003 to 2013 and of Xansa plc from 2003 to 2007 as well as a President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development for two years. He is a trustee of a number of charities. He was appointed Chairman of C.Hoare & Co. in October 2006.
To relax he gardens, watches old movies and supports Cambridge rowing.
