We aim to make this site as accessible as possible and therefore have provided the settings below to use if you are finding it difficult to view this website. See the SFO Accessibility Statement for more information.

Where it is appropriate to provide a Welsh translation, you can switch to Cymraeg. See the Welsh Language Commissioner website for more information.

Use the settings button in the bottom right corner of the page to access these settings again.

We would like to use Analytics Cookies on our website. 

Turn these on below if you are happy with us collecting information on how our site is used, in order for us to improve the overall experience of our website. 

All other cookies are necessary and therefore by continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to the usage of these cookies.

 See the SFO Privacy Policy for more information. 

Analytics Cookies

Michelle Crotty appointed Chief Capability Officer as John Carroll becomes permanent Chief Operating Officer

28 Mai, 2020 | Eitemau newyddion

Update on 15 June 2020
Michelle Crotty’s start date has now been confirmed as 10 August 2020.

Following a fair and open competition, John Carroll has been confirmed in his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the SFO. He will be joined by Michelle Crotty, who has been appointed as Chief Capability Officer (CCO).

Michelle joins the SFO from the National Crime Agency, where as Director of Strategy she was responsible for the agency’s strategic, performance and communications arms. Prior to this, she held the position of Director of the Attorney General’s Office for four years between 2015 and 2019.

Her extensive career in law enforcement began when, after eight years in private criminal law practice, she joined the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office, later moving to the Crown Prosecution Service when the two offices merged. Michelle joined the Sentencing Council as a legal advisor in 2010, becoming Head of the Office for the Sentencing Council in 2011 until she joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2014, first as lead of its criminal team and then as Director.

As Chief Capability Officer, Michelle will provide oversight of the SFO’s corporate and technology functions and lead on the SFO’s strategic objectives and business plans, maximising the value for money the SFO delivers and ensuring equitable outcomes for victims. The CCO will also facilitate new initiatives in the corporate sphere.

Lisa Osofsky, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Michelle to our team.  She brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record of delivery to this newly-created role.

“Michelle’s expertise will help drive the continuous improvement of the SFO’s corporate and technology functions.”

Michelle Crotty said:

“I am excited to take up this new role in the SFO, and look forward to working with colleagues to strengthen the SFO’s capability and enabling functions, and to deliver top quality corporate and technological services.

“The response to Covid-19 is impacting upon the way in which all criminal justice organisations operate now and in the future. I am eager to begin working with the team to explore the opportunities that will provide for the SFO and its ways of working.”

The role of Chief Capability Officer is a new post and Michelle will work alongside, and complement, the work of the Chief Operating Officer. The Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the SFO’s operational functions and will be responsible for the organisation’s values, strategic engagement, organisational learning and professional standards. Both the COO and CCO will sit as members of the board, and will work together closely to shape the strategic direction of the SFO.

John Carroll, who has held the role of interim Chief Operating Officer since October 2019, will be appointed as permanent Chief Operating Officer.

John Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of the SFO, said:

“I welcome Michelle to the team, and I look forward to working closely with her to deliver our organisational objectives.

“I am delighted to be given the opportunity to carry on as Chief Operating Officer on a permanent basis and to be able to focus my full attention on our programme to become a people-centric organisation in which our shared values underpin everything we do, as well as the ongoing work to deliver our operational work at pace.”

Notes to editors:

  1. Michelle’s official start date is yet to be confirmed.
  2. More information about the career histories of board-level staff can be found here.
  3. In becoming the SFO’s Chief Capability Officer, Michelle has taken some of the responsibilities previously being carried out by the Chief Operating Officer.
  4. John Carroll became interim Chief Operating Officer in October 2019 following the departure of his predecessor, Mark Thompson.