Dr. Hazel Hobbs

Biography

Hazel Hobbs is an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, with a rich background in government strategy and digital services. Having previously served as the Director of Strategy at the Government Digital Service, she brings over 20 years of experience collaborating with ministers and permanent secretaries, including time spent at 10 Downing Street and on non-executive boards across policy, operational, and corporate roles within the civil service. As an advocate for merging academic insights with practical experience, she operates a portfolio of advisory and executive coaching services through her own company, Hazel Bees Consulting Limited, and is associated with the Edgecumbe Consulting Group and was previously part of Deloitte. Hazel also plays a pivotal role as an associate adviser for the highest risk government major projects under the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA), leading comprehensive reviews focused on assessing the effectiveness of Arms'-Length Bodies as published on GOV.UK. Beyond her advisory roles, Hazel is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Building Digital UK, where she chairs the Audit Risk Committee, supervising a £5 billion investment in full fibre gigabit and broader telecommunications infrastructure projects. An alumna of the Major Project Leadership Academy, she graduated from the London School of Economics with an Executive Master of Public Policy and holds a post-graduate Executive Coaching Certificate from Henley Business School accredited by the International Coaching Federation. In her current role at Oxford Saïd, she co-designs and teaches on courses aimed at government Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) and custom coaching programs for UK and international governments, primarily focusing on transformation, digital initiatives, and major project leadership.

Research Interests