Leadership team

Emma Rourke – Acting National Statistician

Emma is the Acting National Statistician. She is the principal advisor on statistical matters to the UK Statistics Authority Board, as well as to ministers and Parliament. She is Head of the Government Statistical Service (GSS) and the Analysis Function, focusing her time on system-wide leadership of statistical production within the ONS and across government. She works closely with other senior analytical leaders across government and represents the ONS at relevant international fora.

Emma is an executive member of the UK Statistics Authority Board.

Emma was previously the Deputy National Statistician and Director General for Health, Population and Methods. Before joining the ONS in 2016, Emma held senior roles in the health sector, including Director of Intelligence at the Care Quality Commission.

Darren Tierney – Permanent Secretary

Darren is responsible for the day-to-day running of the ONS, including leading the ONS’s organisational transformation. He sets the strategic direction of the ONS in consultation with the Acting National Statistician and the UK Statistics Authority Board. He oversees the delivery of our portfolio of statistics and is the Accounting Officer answerable to Parliament for the ONS’s performance.

Darren is an executive member of the UK Statistics Authority Board.

Darren joined the ONS from the Cabinet Office and has over 20 years of policy, strategic and corporate experience across the Civil Service, including the management of transformation programmes.

Surveys and Economic and Social Statistics

James Benford – Director General for Surveys and Economic and Social Statistics  

The Surveys and Economic and Social Statistics [SESS] group is responsible for end-to-end oversight of economic and social statistics production from design and collection to outputs, and driving and supporting the delivery of the Survey Improvement and Enhancement Plan and Economic Statistics Plan, improve quality and restore confidence in our core statistics.  Under the SESS umbrella sit national accounts, labour market statistics, trade, public sector finances, prices, crime, subnational data, Business Surveys and Social Surveys, along with key related functions within Methodology and Quality. 

James Benford is Director General of SESS. James joined the ONS from the Bank of England, where he was Executive Director for Data and Analytics Transformation and Chief Data Officer 

Liz McKeown – Director of Economic Statistics Production and Analysis

Liz leads the production and analysis of the UK’s official estimates of the Labour Market and the country’s National and Regional Accounts, She is also responsible for the range of monthly output economic indicators and annual surveys produced and conducted by the ONS.

Liz was Director of Public Policy Analysis. Before joining the ONS, Liz held senior roles in government, including Chief Economist at the Cabinet Office.

Grant Fitzner – Director of Macroeconomic and Environmental Statistics and Analysis

Grant oversees the production and analysis of the ONS economic statistics, including prices, public sector finance, productivity, trade and the balance of payments. He also advises the National Statistician on economic matters.

Grant is an experienced economist who has held a range of public and private sector roles, including economic adviser to the Australian Government and director of analysis and chief economist at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Sarah Henry – Director of Methodology and Quality Directorate

Sarah is our Director for the Methodology and Quality Directorate (MQD) and oversees the statistical methods and techniques that underpin our surveys and statistics. She ensures our statistics are of the highest possible quality, using the best mixture of data sources.

Sarah has a wealth of experience in analysis and statistical methods. She was previously Head of Intelligence and Performance at Manchester City Council.

Kate Davies – Director of Business Surveys

Kate’s previous roles in ONS include Programme Director for the Census and Data Collection Transformation Programme and Future Population and Migration Statistics Programme, and Deputy Director for Business Surveys Transformation Division and is well practiced in delivering large scale transformation programmes.

Kate has worked at ONS since 2000, across various roles. Much of her career in ONS has been spent on or around Short-Term Output Indicators in ONS including RSI, Construction, Index of Services and Index of Production. She has delivered both National Accounts and Statistical Training, and editing and validation methods for business surveys, all of which has enabled her to build a detailed knowledge of business surveys.

Alex Lambert – Director of Social Surveys

Alex leads the organisation in data collection, through our use of social surveys. He is also responsible for the field interviewer community and survey transformation.

Alex has experience in operations and transformation, having previously been at the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).

Osama Rahman – Director of Strategy, Planning, Innovation, Delivery Assurance and Support

Osama leads the Data Science Campus, a UK and international hub to gain practical advantage from the increased investment in data science capability.

He was previously the Department for Education’s (DfE) Chief Analyst and Chief Scientific Adviser for four and a half years where he was responsible for the provision of analytical and scientific advice to ministers and senior officials.

Before joining DfE, Osama spent fourteen and a half years at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), a year at the Civil Aviation Authority, and 10 years as a lecturer and senior lecturer in economics at various UK universities.

Jennet Woolford – Director of Public Policy Analysis

Jen leads the development of public policy statistics and analysis, covering population, migration, crime, living standards, housing, and environmental issues, such as net zero and sustainability. Jen is also responsible for the Analysis Function within the ONS.

Jen is a professional statistician, with 25 years of experience working in official statistics.

Population Statistics and Census

Vacant – Executive Director for Population Statistics and Census

Mary Gregory – Director of Population Statistics Directorate

Mary leads our work to deliver population and migration statistics, supporting a better understanding of society across the UK. This includes delivering our regular outputs and work to make greater use of administrative data.

Mary has worked across government leading statistical and data science teams.

Jason Zawadzki – Director of Population Transformation Directorate

Data Capability

Pete Benton – Director General for Data Capability

Pete is Director General for Data Capability at ONS and is currently contributing to statistical design and surrounding discussions. His role focuses particularly on the use of linked data within ONS, and we can benefit from his considerable experience and expertise.

Pete has experience in statistical methodology, major programme delivery, and operations management. He has held several senior roles at the ONS, including Deputy National Statistician for Health Population and Methods, Interim Deputy National Statistician for Population and Public Policy, Director of Census 2021 Operations, and Director of the Covid-19 Infection Survey.

Simon Sandford-Taylor – Director of Digital Services

Simon leads our Digital and Technology Services function. He is responsible for all the systems, devices and technology that supports the ONS.

Simon has held senior IT roles in both the public and private sector. His previous roles include Chief Technology Officer at the Intellectual Property Office and Group Applications Manager at Heath Lambert Group.

Fiona James – Director of Data Growth and Operations

Fiona is Chief Data Officer and Director of Data Growth and Operations. She is an experienced digital, data, technology and policy expert with a deep understanding of the delivery challenges faced by public sector organisations.

She has a track record in leadership through complexity, projects and people in both a policy and service delivery context.

Fiona joined the Civil Service in 2006 as a generalist Fast Streamer at the Department for Transport, where she held policy, strategy and operational roles across aviation, roads and maritime.

She spent four years working on exiting the European Union, leading transport and digital, data and technology readiness at the Cabinet Office, before moving to the Crown Prosecution Service as a digital technology leader, helping to transform criminal justice during the pandemic.

Megan Cooper – Director of the Integrated Data Programme and Service

Megan is the Director for the Integrated Data Programme and Service directorate. The Integrated Data Service is a cloud-based Trusted Research Environment (TRE) which provides a secure environment for analysing linked data. Megan's role also encompasses ongoing delivery of the Secure Research Service (SRS) for external researchers. 

Megan is an accredited Senior Delivery Professional with experience working on diverse projects and programmes including technical and policy delivery, innovation and overseas development across multiple Government departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. 

Reports to Permanent Secretary

Henry Watson - Director of People and Business Services

Tom Taylor – Director of Finance, Planning and Performance

Tom is the Director for Finance, Planning and Performance. Tom is also Chief Financial Officer, supporting Sir Ian’s role as Accounting Officer for the UK Statistics Authority.

Tom has extensive finance, analytical and policy experience from across the civil service.

Sarah Moore – Director of Communications and Digital Publishing

Sarah is Director of Communications and Digital Publishing and responsible for the promotion and dissemination of all ONS statistics and analysis. This includes using digital products and content, media handling, stakeholder engagement and internal communications to engage audiences in our data in the most inclusive and innovative way.

Sarah is head of profession for Communications for the UKSA and manages the corporate reputation of the ONS to promote evidence-based policy making and public debate.

Sarah has worked in strategic communications roles across government for over 20 years, previously leading teams at the Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs.

Keith Nicholson – Deputy Director of Security and Information Management

Keith leads the Security and Information Management Directorate which provides security advice and operations to protect the ONS, its services and data assets from threats. The Directorate develops new approaches to secure the operations of the ONS’ leading edge big data analytics that support the organisational statistical mission and its corporate information governance. A key element of the role is to advise the National Statistician on security and information matters and the programme of work to reduce risk and comply with legislation.

Keith has extensive experience of working across government departments and leading security teams to deliver innovative security capabilities and protect critical national infrastructure. Keith is an active commentator on security and governance issues. He regularly presents a unique perspective at security conferences and panel discussion highlighting approaches that ONS use to protect data and ensure it is used appropriately.

Reports to National Statistician

Lucinda Eggleton – Director of the Office of the National Statistician

Vacant – Chief Methodology and Statistics Advisor