DCMS and AWS confirm Liam Maxwell departure to take up international ‘developing countries’ role at cloud services vendor

The government and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have confirmed that National Technology Advisor Liam Maxwell is leaving his post to join the cloud services company in the capacity of director of international government transformation.

Maxwell’s focus will be on working with developing countries in their adoption of cloud computing. His role will not be UK focused and as part of the terms of his leaving the government to go to the private sector, he will be banned from lobbying the government on behalf of future employers for two years. That stipulation is under Civil Service rules and is not as a result of any separate negotiation with AWS.

Under the rules, the lobbying ban means that “the former Crown servant should not engage in communication with government (including ministers, special advisers and officials) with a view to influencing a government decision or policy in relation to their own interests, or the interests of the organisation by which they are employed or to which they are contracted.”

It is understood that Maxwell’s departure did not need the approval of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) because only ministers and the most senior Crown servants (permanent secretaries, directors general and their equivalents at SCS3 and above, and special advisers of equivalent standing) need to apply to ACOBA.

It is also understood that Maxwell will be leaving the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in October. As of yesterday, although there had been discussion about Maxwell’s possible departure to take up a role with AWS, there had not been official confirmation that Maxwell had actually resigned.

However, today, things have moved quickly, with government sources confirming that Maxwell would be leaving DCMS in October, to take up a “non-UK facing role in the private sector”, and then AWS confirming the specifics of Maxwell’s role.

Reacting to the Maxwell’s appointment, one UK industry source said, “Whilst the international, non UK government facing aspect of the role will come as relief to many, questions remain about revolving doors in general, and the motivations behind the appointment.”

However, another went further, saying, “It remains a concern that Liam will remain in post for the next three months,  in a role that needs to be impartial. IT companies large and small will be worried about this.”