Sir Alex Chisholm: 3 identities and failure to declare interests
Chief operating officer and Permanent Secretary fails to disclose directorships in The Whitehall and Industry Group, UK Government Investments Limited, and British Technology Investments Limited.
Sir Alex Chisholm’s biography, available on the Government website provides the following biography: Sir Alex Chisholm KCB (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/alex-chisholm#biography).
Biography
Alex Chisholm became Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office in April 2020. Prior to that he was the Permanent Secretary to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Previous roles in government:
Permanent Secretary, BEIS 2016 to 2020
Joint Permanent Secretary, BEIS 2016 to 2016
Permanent Secretary, DECC 2016 to 2016
Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority 2013 to 2016
Previous roles in government
Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service
2020 to 2024
Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office
2020 to 2024
Permanent Secretary, BEIS
2016 to 2020
Joint Permanent Secretary, BEIS
2016 to 2016
Permanent Secretary, DECC
2016 to 2016
Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority
2013 to 2016
We can conclude that Alex Chisholm has not declared that he has any business interests.
Alex Chisholm’s LinkedIn experience
Sir Alex Chisholm’s LinkedIn profile provides more detail ((15) Experience | Alex Chisholm | LinkedIn):
Chief Operating Officer UK Civil Service · Full-time Apr 2020 - Present · 4 yrs 1 mo London, England, United Kingdom
In this position I am responsible for leadership of the 10,000 staff in the Cabinet Office and for driving the reform programme across the 500,000 strong Civil Service.
Trustee and Deputy ChairTrustee and Deputy Chair
Breadline Africa (Charity) 2004 - Present · 20 yrs 4 mos
International charity working since 1993 to break the cycle of poverty in Africa by helping communities to help themselves. As Deputy Chair is a member of main international board and finance and marketing committees (latter as Chair).
Permanent Secretary
Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Full-time Jul 2016 - Apr 2020 · 3 yrs 10 mos London, England, United Kingdom
Chief Executive
Competition & Markets Authority Mar 2013 - Jun 2016 · 3 yrs 4 mos London
The Competition & Markets Authority was created by the Enterprise & Regulatory Reform Act passed in April 2013. It is responsible for merger control, markets investigations and enforcement of competition and consumer law. The Authority employs over 500 people and has a budget of approx £60M. For more information see www.gov/cma
Commissioner & Chairperson Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg)Oct 2007 - Mar 2013 · 5 yrs 6 mos
ComReg is headed by a 3-member Commission. Alex was appointed Commissioner in 2007, and Chairperson of the Commission in February 2010. ComReg employs 120 staff and has an annual budget of c €25m.
Director Binary Ventures 2003 - 2007 · 4 yrs
Early stage 'business angel' investment group in Ireland with diverse portfolio of investee companies.
Business Mentor Enterprise Ireland2003 - 2007 · 4 yrs
Advisor and mentor to high-potential start-ups, especially in digital media sector.
Director SkupeNet Ltd2003 - 2007 · 4 yrs
Provider of web-based search services and solutions for organisations involved in online classified advertising market.
Managing Director Heritage Gardening Ltd2003 - 2007 · 4 yrs
Provider of horticultural products and services (acquired by competitor firm in 2009).
Chief Executive Ecceleration Ltd2000 - 2002 · 2 yrs
In less than 2 years completed successful business transformation of this technology software and solutions provider.
Ecommerce Director eCountries Inc1999 - 2000 · 1 yr
Directed international ecommerce activities of this media and business services start-up, establishing operations in East Asia, Latin America, Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union.
Publisher & General Manager Financial Times Group1998 - 1999 · 1 yr
Managed financial services division of professional publishing company, P&L £4m, 12 staff.
Media Development Manager Pearson plc1996 - 1998 · 2 yrs
Responsible for managing development of Pearson's new media operations; co-responsible for development of group strategy which begun the transformation into the highly successful international publishing company we see today.
Principal Officer Department of Trade & Industry1994 - 1996 · 2 yrs
After working on UK competition and telecoms policy, and then negotiating the EU's 3rd life insurance directive, appointed Principal of Multimedia Unit, responsible for superhighways policy and Information Society initiatives.
Assistant Principal Office of Fair Trading1990 - 1993 · 3 yrs
Worked on competition and consumer aspects of financial services in the 'Big Bang' era, including equity underwriting, life insurance and settlement, before appointment as Private Secretary to new Director General.
Comparison with his biography reveals that Alex Chisholm is a “Trustee and Deputy Chair of Breadline Africa since 2004”. He failed to declare this in his biography, when it should have been included.
Alex Chisholm’s interests registered in Companies House.
A search in Companies House using the search term “Alex Chisholm” returns two identities with this name (Alex Chisholm - Find and update company information - GOV.UK (company-information.service.gov.uk)):
Identity 1
Matching appointment names:
Alex CHISHOLMTotal number of appointments 3 - Born January 1968
29 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1AQ
Identity 2
Total number of appointments 1 - Born January 1968
C/O Msp Secretaries Limited, 27/28 Eastcastle Street, London, W1W 8DH
The detail of these identities is copied below.
Identity 1
Alex James CHISHOLM
Total number of appointments 3
Date of birth January 1968
Company status Active Correspondence address 29 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1AQ Role ACTIVE Director Appointed on 17 December 2010 Nationality British Country of residence England Occupation Public Servant
THE WHITEHALL AND INDUSTRY GROUP (03340252)
Company status Active Correspondence address Dept. For Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, 1 Victoria Street, London, England, SW1H 0ET Role RESIGNED Director Appointed on 1 June 2017 Resigned on 1 June 2018 Nationality British Country of residence England Occupation Civil Servant
Company status Active Correspondence address 54 Mount Pleasant Square, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ireland, IRISH Role RESIGNED Director Appointed on 12 October 2004 Resigned on 14 September 2010 Nationality British Country of residence Ireland Occupation Managing Director
Alex Chisholm has been a director of Breadline Africa since 2004. For a brief period in 2010 he resigned and was reappointed. He was also a director of The Whitehall and Industry Group from 12 October 2004 to 14 September 2010.
Conclusion 1:
Alex Chisholm failed to declare his directorship of The Whitehall and Industry Group from 1 June 2017 to 1 June 2018 in his Biography and LinkedIn profile.
Identity 2.
Alex James CHISHOLM
Total number of appointments 1
Date of birth January 1968
UK GOVERNMENT INVESTMENTS LIMITED (09774296)
Company status Active Correspondence address C/O Msp Secretaries Limited, 27/28 Eastcastle Street, London, W1W 8DH Role RESIGNED Director Appointed on 28 September 2016 Resigned on 14 April 2020 Nationality British Country of residence Ireland Occupation Civil Servant
In a second identity Alex Chisholm was appointed as a director of UK Government Investments Limited from 28 September 2016 to 14 April 2020.
Conclusion 2:
Alex Chisholm failed to declare that he was a director of UK Government Investments Limited from 28 September 2016 to 14 April 2020 in his Biography and LinkedIn profile.
Testing for additional identities
A search was made in Companies House using the search term “Alexander Chisholm” (Alexander Chisholm - Find and update company information - GOV.UK (company-information.service.gov.uk)). A third identity, with the same date of birth January 1968, is revealed .
Identity 3
Total number of appointments 1 - Born January 1968
1 Victoria Street, London, United Kingdom, SW1H 0ET
The detail of this identity:
Alexander CHISHOLM
Total number of appointments 1
Date of birth January 1968
BRITISH TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS LIMITED (12204666)
Company status Active Correspondence address 1 Victoria Street, London, United Kingdom, SW1H 0ET Role RESIGNED Director Appointed on 12 September 2019 Resigned on 11 June 2021 Nationality British Country of residence United Kingdom Occupation Civil Servant
In a third identity Sir Alex Chisholm holds a recently active directorship to British Technology Investments Limited from 12 September 2019 to 11 June 2021.
Conclusion 3
Sir Alex Chisholm failed to declare that he was a director of British Technology Investments Limited from 12 September 2019 to 11 June 2021.
Register of Interests
A search using the search term “Register of Interests Sir Alex Chisholm” returned one reference to a Cabinet Office Register of Board Members Interests 2020 to 2021 (Slide 1 (publishing.service.gov.uk)).
Conclusion 4.
Alex Chisholm declares the charity Breadline Africa, however, he fails to declare the associated company which, strictly speaking, should be included.
During the time covered by this Register of Interests, Alex Chisholm was an active director of:
UK Government Investments Limited from 28 September 2016 to 14 April 2020,
British Technology Investments Limited (12 September 2019 to 11 June 2021).
To be fully transparent he should also have declared his directorship of The Whitehall and Industry Group from 1 June 2017 to 1 June 2018, so that this would be tested for undisclosed related party transactions during an audit.
Summary:
The investigation into Sir Alex Chisholm's professional history and financial interests reveals concerning discrepancies. Despite holding key positions in government and business, Chisholm failed to declare significant business interests, including directorships in The Whitehall and Industry Group, UK Government Investments Limited, and British Technology Investments Limited. Moreover, he was found to have established multiple identities, potentially in breach of the Companies Act section 1082, enabling the concealment of interests he failed to declare. These actions raise questions about transparency, accountability, and adherence to legal obligations.
Conclusion:
The evidence suggests that Sir Alex Chisholm's failure to declare interests and creation of multiple identities, constituting breaches of the Companies Act section 1082, could potentially meet the legal definitions of fraud by false representation and fraud by failing to disclose interests. His omissions in declaring directorships in The Whitehall and Industry Group, UK Government Investments Limited, and British Technology Investments Limited underscore concerns regarding transparency and accountability. To ensure integrity and compliance, thorough investigations into these matters are warranted.