Our Commissioners

Term: 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2025

John Pullinger is our Chair

John is an experienced public servant who has held senior roles in a range of organisations in the UK and internationally.

Until 2019, he was the UK’s National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, developing and delivering a strategy to enhance the trustworthiness, quality and value of official statistics to support political debate and decisions at UK, devolved administration and local levels.  He also served as President of the Royal Statistical Society and Chair of the United Nations Statistical Commission.

Since completing his term as National Statistician John has held a number of non-executive and advisory roles including Trustee of the Nuffield Foundation, President of the International Association for Official Statistics and Board member of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.

Between 2004 and 2014 John was Librarian of the House of Commons where he was responsible for broadening the range of information and research services available to MPs, particularly backbench Members. He also led work to improve the connection between Parliament and its Committees and the public. As well as his work in the UK, he chaired an International Parliamentary Union conference on informing democracy and was involved in parliamentary strengthening projects in Iraq, Myanmar and elsewhere.

First Term: 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2020

Second Term: 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2023

Third Term: 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026

Dame Sue Bruce is our Commissioner with responsibility for Scotland.

Sue Bruce is a non-executive director with SSE PLC; Chair of Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO); and is a Deputy Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh. She is also a member of the Audit Committee of the University of Strathclyde, and a former Chair of Young Scot.

Sue Bruce served in Local Government for almost 40 years, finishing in 2015. Her most recent post was as Chief Executive of The City of Edinburgh Council having previously served as Chief Executive at Aberdeen City Council and Chief Executive at East Dunbartonshire Council. Amongst her noteworthy achievements was the turnaround of the Edinburgh Tram Project, the establishment of the Edinburgh Guarantee and prior to that, the performance improvement of Aberdeen City Council.

First Term: 31 March 2018 to 30 March 2022

Second Term: 31 March 2022 to 30 March 2026

Sarah Chambers was formerly the Chief Executive of the mail industry regulator, Postal Services Commission, between 2004 and 2008.

A former civil servant, Sarah has a wealth of experience in the regulatory and policy fields, having been a board and committee member of a number of public organisations, including the Competition and Markets Authority, Bar Standards Board and Judicial Appointments Commission.

Sarah is currently Chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel.

Term: 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2026

Roseanna Cunningham is our Commissioner who is Scottish National Party (SNP) nominated.

Roseanna Cunningham who was formerly a solicitor and an Advocate, Roseanna was elected to the House of Commons for the SNP in a by-election in May, 1995. She was re-elected in 1997. She successfully stood for election to the newly created Scottish Parliament (SP) in 1999 and thereafter stood down from Westminster at the 2001 General Election.

Between 1999 and 2007 she was at different times Convener of the Justice Committee, Health Committee and Rural Affairs Committee and was also Deputy Leader of the SNP from 2000-2004.

Roseanna was appointed to the Scottish Government in 2009 serving as Minister for the Environment until 2011 when she became Minister for Community Safety.  In 2014 she became Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training and in 2016 became Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, serving in that portfolio until her retirement in May 2021.

First Term: 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2022

Second Term: 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2026 

Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Stephen Gilbert) is one of our Commissioners who is Conservative Party nominated.

Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Stephen Gilbert) is a Conservative peer who entered the House of Lords in 2015.

He chairs the House of Lords Communications Select Committee.

He has held several senior positions in the Conservative party. These have included Head of Campaigning, Director of Campaign and Deputy Chief Executive as well as Political Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Term: 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028

Carole Mills is a highly experienced executive and non-executive (NED) who was employed in banking and the NHS before moving into local government where she served more than 33 years.

Carole has worked in five large unitary local authorities, most recently Derby City Council, holding the post of Chief Executive in three and Chief Finance Officer in two. In three of those councils she was also Returning Officer and has led the local administration of all types of local and national elections, from parish councils, BIDs and local neighbourhood plans to all out council elections, referendums and UKPEs. She’s also been a poll clerk, presiding officer, counting assistant, count team leader and Deputy Returning Officer, thereby accumulating over 25 years of practical election experience.

Carole retired from her full time career in Spring 2020 and has since held a portfolio of roles. Since 2020, she has been a NED, Chair of the Quality and Safety Committee, member of the People Committee and Maternity Safety Champion at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. Carole is also Chair and Trustee of Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust. Between 2017 and the autumn of 2023, she was a NED, Chair of the Operations Committee, and member of the Audit Committee at the social housing provider, Midland Heart.

Term: 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2025

Dr Katy Radford is our Commissioner with responsibility for Northern Ireland. 

Dr Katy Radford is a social anthropologist who currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the British Council for whom she also chairs the Northern Ireland Advisory Committee.

She has completed terms as Equality Commissioner for Northern Ireland, and as a Member of the Commission for Flags, Identity, Culture, and Tradition convened by The Executive Office. From 2011 - 2020, Katy was Acting Director of the Institute for Conflict Research and subsequently worked at the Commission for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland as Director of Policy and Research. Katy was awarded an MBE in 2011 for her contribution to community relations in Northern Ireland.

Term: 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2027

Sheila Ewan Ritchie is our Commissioner who is Minor Parties nominated.

Sheila Ritchie is a retired Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and solicitor. She was involved in politics for over 40 years and received an MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours List, for political service in Scotland.

Most recently, she stood as a candidate in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Prior to that, she was a Member of the European Parliament for the Scotland constituency from 2019-2020. Her other political roles include:

• Convener of the Scottish Lib Dems and member of the party’s Federal Board & Steering Group: 2018 - 2022
• Scottish Government appointee to the European Economic and Change Committee: 2000 - 2003
• Member of Gordon District Council and Chair of the Policy & Resources Committee: 1988 - 1992

Sheila qualified as a solicitor in 1981, before going into politics. She later became a partner at three Aberdeen-based law firms. She was General Council Assessor on the University of Aberdeen’s Court, 1980-1986; and a member of Langstane Housing Association’s Committee of Management and Chair of its Development Committee, 1981 - 1988. Sheila is involved with several charities.

Her current roles include: 

• trustee of the Macaulay Development Trust, a sustainable land development non-profit
• trustee of Articulate Cultural Hub, which supports arts access and participation by those are least likely to engage in creative activity, or who face barriers
• Director of Celebrate Aberdeen, which pays tribute to Aberdeen’s volunteer and third sector community. 

She is a former Trustee of the RSPB and has been a member of its Scottish Advisory Committee for over 30 years. She is a keen conservationist, gardener, and open water swimmer.

Term: 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2026

Chris Ruane is our Commissioner who is Labour Party nominated.

Chris Ruane was a British MP for 21 years. Prior to this he was a schoolteacher and Deputy Head teacher for 15 years.

He has maintained an interest in electoral matters since 2001 and served on the 2014 Constitutional Select Committee Inquiry into Voter Engagement.

Chris served as PPS to Foreign Secretary Rt Hon David Miliband and PPS to Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. He served as Shadow Wales Minister from 2017-19.

Chris has a keen interest in wellbeing and working with Prof Mark Willams Oxford and Professor Lord Richard Layard LSE he established a mindfulness practice group in Parliament in 2013. Since then, 350 UK politicians and 800 members of staff has received mindfulness training. Since leaving Parliament Chris has maintained his interest in wellbeing. He served on the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation for nine years, retiring in early 2024. He is also Chair of the Mindfulness Initiative’s Global Network which seeks to establish mindfulness practice in over 50 legislatures around the world. He has lectured and spoken at the UN, OECD, The Dalai Lama’s Mind and Life Conference as well as several Universities including Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Oxford Universities and the Google Wisdom 2.0 International Conference in Dublin in 2014.

First Term: 13 March 2017 to 12 March 2021

Second Term: 13 March 2021 to 12 March 2025

Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens CBE is our Commissioner with responsibility for Wales.

Elan Closs Stephens is Emeritus Professor of Communications and Creative Industries at Aberystwyth University.

She has specialised in cultural and broadcasting regulatory policy, chairing the Stephens Review into the Welsh Arts Council and serving as Chair of the British Council in Wales, as a Governor of the British Film Institute and, for two terms, as Chair of S4C, the Welsh Fourth Channel. For the last six years until the end of the Charter, she has been the Wales Trustee on the BBC’s governing body, the BBC Trust.

She has been a Non Executive Director of the Permanent Secretary of Wales’s senior Board and has chaired the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee since 2008. She also chaired the Recovery Board for the Isle of Anglesey County Council. Elan is a first language Welsh speaker from the Nantlle Valley in North Wales and a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford.

She was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2001 for services to broadcasting and the Welsh language. She served as High Sheriff of the three counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion 2012-13.