White joined the British civil service in 1989 and held positions at the
Treasury, the
British Embassy in Washington, D.C., the
No.10 Policy Unit under the
Blair government, the
World Bank, and as Director General at the
Department for International Development (2003–2009). She later worked at the
Ministry of Justice and the
Department for Work and Pensions. At HM Treasury, White was Director General for Public Spending (2012–2013) and became
Second Permanent Secretary in 2013, overseeing the government's response to the
2008 financial crisis. She was the first black person and second woman to hold the post.
Ofcom (2015–2019) In December 2014, White was appointed Chief Executive of
Ofcom, succeeding
Ed Richards. She led Ofcom from 2015 to 2019, overseeing reforms in the UK communications and media sector.
John Lewis Partnership (2020–2024) White succeeded
Charlie Mayfield as Chairman of the
John Lewis Partnership on 4 February 2020. Her tenure included overseeing strategic restructuring during a period of financial challenges for the retailer, including the suspension of staff bonuses and the temporary removal of the “Never Knowingly Undersold” policy. She stepped down in September 2024, earlier than initially planned, following the appointment of
Jason Tarry as her successor. Later in 2025, she was promoted to Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Affairs, based in London, representing CDPQ in its international markets and stakeholder engagements. ==Recognition and honours==