Sir John is currently Chair of Diageo plc and Chair of SSE plc, the UK utility company. He is also an Independent Director at KBR Inc, and an Adviser to Mace Ltd, one of the largest construction companies in the UK. He also serves on the Global Leadership Council of the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Previously, John was Chair of AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) plc, a non-departmental public body central to the UK’s nuclear-defence strategy and Continuous at Sea Deterrence (CASD).

As the first ever CEO of the UK Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, Sir John was responsible for improving execution and efficiency across the Civil Service and directly accountable for the running of the Cabinet Office, effectively the “HQ” for HM Government.

Prior to the Civil Service, Sir John spent 25 years at BP plc, including as CEO of Gas and Power, and latterly as CEO of Refining and Marketing. He joined the Main Board of BP plc in 2003. From 2007 to 2012 he was President and CEO of Talisman Energy, a global exploration and production company based in Canada. He was on the Board of SAB Miller from 2005 to 2014.

Sir John was knighted for services to the public sector in 2020 and awarded International Business Leader of the Year by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in 2010.