Overview
- The Prime Minister’s office confirmed the appointment in a brief statement that was published on Wednesday and said Rangarajan will serve in a newly created Expert Adviser on Structure and Process role at 10 Downing Street.
- Gautam Rangarajan is Indian‑origin and has more than 20 years of experience as a strategist and creative content producer, including a former strategist role at the BBC and work leading corporate transformation projects.
- The official announcement gave only a short description of Rangarajan’s experience and did not set out his specific duties, reporting lines, deliverables, or a public timetable for his work.
- Burnham and his team frame the appointment as part of a wider Whitehall reset that has included creating an Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, launching No. 10 North in Manchester, and reshaping several departments.
- The hire was made during the parliamentary summer recess while Burnham is on a nationwide tour and chairing emergency meetings over an extreme heatwave, a timing that could speed organisational change but also raise questions about transparency and oversight.