Our Executive Team

As Chief Executive, Shaun leads the organisation, putting into practice strategies agreed with our Commission Board.

Shaun joined the Commission in April 2022 from the Ministry of Justice, where he led on the Department’s planning, preparation and response to major incidents, including the end of the EU transition period and Covid-19.

He has more than 35 years working within the UK justice system, with his previous roles including Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Agency, Director of Legal Aid Casework, and Director of Crime at Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service, HM Courts Service.

Shaun was awarded a CBE in the January 2008 New Year’s Honours list in recognition of his leadership and delivery of the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre.

Ailsa is responsible for our guidance. This includes guidance for electoral administrators on running electoral events, as well as the guidance for candidates and agents, political parties and other organisations.

Ailsa has been at the Commission for over a decade, holding a number of different positions since starting as the Policy and Practice Officer in Scotland in 2003.

From 2010 to the end of 2016, Ailsa was Head of Guidance, leading on the Commission’s guidance, support and performance standards work. She played a key role in supporting the Commission’s previous Chair, Jenny Watson, in her role as Chief Counting Officer at the recent EU referendum.

Ailsa was appointed Director of Electoral Administration in January 2017.

Louise Edwards is our Director of Regulation.

Louise is responsible for our regulatory work. This includes funding and spending at elections and referendums, registering political parties and our enforcement work.

In 2015 Louise was appointed as the Head of Regulation.

Prior to joining the Commission, she worked for a range of regulators including the Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Ofgem and the Home Office.

Craig oversees the work of our campaigns, external communications, policy and research teams, which includes our public awareness campaigns right through to our recommendations for policy change.

Craig joined the Electoral Commission in August 2016.

Between February 2013 and July 2016, Craig was a Partner at the corporate communications agency Pagefield, leading corporate affairs accounts for clients ranging from major multi-national brands to small charities. These included AB InBev, Kellogg’s and HS1 Ltd, the British Library, the Fundraising Regulator and the Roddick Foundation.

He spent the preceding 10 years in the Civil Service, in a series of policy roles in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health, concluding with three years as Private Secretary to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries. Before joining the Civil Service, Craig worked in corporate press offices including at Fourth Estate publishers and at the British Library.

Craig is a trustee of the arts charity Poet in the City, which creates new audiences for poetry through a programme of events, commissions and education work.

As Director of Finance and Corporate Services, the teams Kieran oversees are responsible for the day-to-day management and support of the organisation.

Kieran joined the Commission in March 2018.

For the previous 10 years, Kieran worked in transport, firstly at the Department for Transport where he led on financial strategy and worked on the 2012 Olympics, before joining HS2 as Director of Finance and Corporate Services. Most recently, he worked at Highways England as Divisional Director leading on the Roads Investment Strategy.

Prior to joining the Department for Transport Kieran had a varied career working at HM Treasury, the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and in local government. He is a qualified accountant and fellow of CIPFA.