A former BP executive has been appointed to head up the government watchdog for major projects

Mark Reynolds

The Cabinet Office said it had chosen John Manzoni is to join the civil service as chief executive of the Major Projects Authority (MPA).

Manzoni spent 20 years at BP holding senior strategic and operational leadership roles at a global, regional and local level, including heading up the oil giant’s refining and marketing business.

Most recently he was president and chief executive of Canadian oil and gas company Talisman Energy.

The MPA was set up in 2011 with a mandate to turn around poor project management in government.

Manzoni said: “Some of the largest and most complex projects can be found in government and it’s the scale of the challenge that makes this role interesting.”

“Working with departments, and at the service of talented civil servants, the MPA has already delivered remarkable improvements.

“To me, the key to its continued success is the quality of project professionals at the centre and in departments. It always comes down to the people.”