Training: BCS Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has appointed seven non-executive members to the board of the Information Commission and launched the recruitment campaign for its chair, with Science Secretary Liz Kendall saying the new regulator "must be an organisation that people trust" as it prepares to take over all the functions of the Information Commissioner's Office later this year.
The appointments, announced on 15 July 2026, form part of the transition to a board-led governance model under which the Commission will hold collective responsibility for strategic leadership and decision-making, replacing the corporation sole structure under which the Information Commissioner has operated.
The seven non-executive members are:
- Laurie Benson, a former international media executive whose senior roles span broadcasting, publishing and digital media businesses including Time Magazine, Bloomberg Media and CNN, with board experience across public bodies, regulators and listed companies
- Maggie Carver, Deputy Chair of Ofcom until 2024 and its Interim Chair between January 2021 and April 2022, who has served on the boards of more than 18 organisations and chaired five, including ITN and the British Board of Film Classification
- Stephen Cohen, an investor and governance specialist with more than 45 years in global asset management, including leadership of international investment businesses in Europe and Japan
- Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs, a board member of the Regulator of Social Housing who chairs the Independent Customer Challenge Group at Thames Water and sits on the RICS Standards and Regulation Board
- Gary Kildare, a former member of IBM's global leadership team who served as its Chief People Officer for Europe, currently an independent non-executive director at audit and advisory firm Crowe LLP
- Hilary Newiss, a former intellectual property partner in a law firm with board experience across science, health and innovation and a continuing interest in privacy and data law
- Scott McPherson, a former Director General across four government departments with more than 25 years in the civil service, including multi-billion-pound programmes in health, justice and policing
The Information Commission was established by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to succeed the ICO as the UK's independent data protection supervisory authority, with the relevant provisions of Part 6 of the Act among those commenced in August 2025. The appointments were made in accordance with the Public Appointments Governance Code, for initial three-year terms at £25,000 per annum, and the members will take up their roles when the transition takes effect.
Kendall said the appointees brought the breadth of experience needed to build the Commission's culture, describing strong leadership, clear values and board-level accountability as the foundations of public trust, with staff at all levels treated with respect and dignity. She said the new members would work with the leadership team to shape an open and accountable organisation and that she looked forward to announcing the transition to the Information Commission in due course.
The chair campaign, launched alongside the appointments, seeks a candidate to lead the board and set the Commission's strategic direction, working alongside the chief executive to protect personal data while supporting responsible innovation and economic growth. Applications close on 19 August 2026.
Details of the chair role are available through the public appointments service: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9276
