Our Commissioners

Term 1: 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2025

Term 2: 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2029

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.

Term: 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2030

Alan Mabbutt is our Commissioner nominated by the Conservative Party.

Alan has had a long and senior career within the Conservative Party, beginning as a trainee political agent in 1977 and going on to hold a range of organisational and legal roles at both local and national level.

He served as Head of Local Government and Legal Officer, and later as the Party’s Nominating Officer from 2005 to 2016. From 2015 to 2025 he held senior leadership roles in the Conservative Party including Director of Organisation and Legal Officer, Director General, and Registered Treasurer. He was also a member of the Party’s Board from 2017 to 2025 and has been a long-standing member of the Political Parties Panel, contributing to the wider regulation of political parties.

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013 for services to local government and political engagement.

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: 31 March 2026 to 30 March 2030

Rashik Parmar is a distinguished digital leader and board member with more than 42 years’ experience across the public, private, academic, and not‑for‑profit sectors.

He currently holds a number of senior advisory and governance roles, including Senior Independent Member and Council Member at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Council Member at The Open University. Across these, and previous non‑executive roles, Rashik brings substantial expertise in governance, research oversight, and the responsible application of digital technologies.

Rashik was formerly Group Chief Executive Officer of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, where he strengthened the organisation’s position as a trusted authority on the future of computing and led organisational improvements to support the effective delivery of strategic objectives. Earlier in his career, as IBM Fellow and Vice President, Technology – Europe, he led regional technical strategy and played a key role in developing a future‑ready technical culture.

A pioneer in the field of responsible computing, Rashik has contributed significantly to thought leadership in this area. He was awarded an MBE for services to Business and Innovation in 2016.

Term 1: 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2025

Term 2: 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2029

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.

Dr Katy Radford was appointed as the Director of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression in November 2025.

Term 1: 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2027
Term 2: 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2031

Sheila Ewan Ritchie is our Commissioner nominated by the Liberal Democrat Party.

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: 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2026
Term 2: 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2030

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.

Term 1: 13 March 2017 to 12 March 2021

Term 2: 13 March 2021 to 12 March 2025

Term 3: 13 March 2025 to 12 March 2027

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.

Term: 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029

Hywel Williams is our nominated Commissioner for the "smaller" parties.

Hywel Williams served as the Plaid Cymru MP for Caernarfon and subsequently Arfon from 2001 to 2024. During his parliamentary career, he held a number of senior roles, including Leader of Plaid Cymru in the House of Commons from 2015 to 2017, and served as the party's spokesperson on areas including trade, foreign affairs, work and pensions, and Brexit. He was a member of several parliamentary committees, including the Welsh Affairs Committee and the Committee on Exiting the European Union and for 10 years was a member of the Speakers Panel of Chairmen chairing a wide variety of committees and debates.

Prior to entering Parliament, Hywel worked in mental health social work and in higher education. He graduated in psychology from Cardiff University and has a post graduate qualification in social work from Bangor University. He joined Bangor University's Centre for Social Work Practice in 1985 becoming Head of the Centre in 1993. He later worked as a freelance lecturer, writer and consultant specialising in social work, social policy, language policy and welfare rights. He was a political columnist throughout his time as an MP writing mainly for Yr Herald Cymraeg and Y Cymro. His debut novel ’Ceiri’ was published in 2025.

Throughout his career, Hywel has maintained a strong interest in social policy, welfare, public services and the Welsh language, and has contributed to public life in Wales through his professional, political and literary work.