Craig Saunders, who stepped down as deputy director, head of news, visits and external affairs, at the Home Office earlier this month is set to join HM Treasury as deputy director, news and media, in March.
A Treasury spokesperson told In.Comms that Saunders will lead a team of around 25 people and report to director of communications Dave Pares.
Saunders started out as a journalist on the Kent and Sussex Courier, a local weekly newspaper, before a short-lived stint as a reporter at the Daily Star that lasted for around 18 months.
He switched to comms in 2017, joining the Home Office as a press officer, subsequently becoming chief press officer. By 2023, Saunders had risen to head of news and was promoted to deputy director in the Home Office comms team in 2024, with his remit expanded to include visits and events.
In a post on Linkedln in early February, he said: “After nine years, today is my final day in the UK Home Office comms team. I arrived not knowing much about home affairs, the Civil Service or Government communications and having taken a huge leap of faith to leave journalism.”
He paid tribute to the “wonderful people” he had worked with in the Whitehall department and said: “I have quite simply loved the job and all the challenges and opportunities that have come with it.”
While being in the Home Office comms directorate is “rewarding” it is also “tough” and “tests your mettle”, he said. “I leave behind nothing but good memories in the Home Office and a team of incredible public servants.”
Saunders is “beyond excited” at the prospect of joining HM Treasury and working on “some of the biggest issues facing the country”.
When approached by In.Comms for more details about his new role and the reason for the move, the comms professional declined to comment other than to confirm his start date.