RSS CEO Stian Westlake to Chair ESRC

In the UK, government funded public body the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has appointed RSS CEO Stian Westlake as its next Executive Chair. He is expected to take up the role in late spring, succeeding Professor Alison Park who has led the organisation on an interim basis.

The ESRC, formerly the Social Science Research Council, is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and provides funding and support for research and training in the social sciences. Westlake (pictured) announced yesterday that after nearly three years as CEO of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), he will be stepping down at the end of May to take up his new position. According to a statement, during his time in post, Westlake has led on the society's work on Covid-19, overseen a substantial increase in membership, and developed a range of new funding sources for RSS projects. He previously spent eight years at Nesta, latterly as Executive Director of Policy and Research, and was Policy Advisor to three successive ministers for universities and science.

Additionally, Westlake is co-author of 'Restarting the Future: How to Fix the Intangible Economy' and 'Capitalism Without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy'; and he is a regular commentator on science and innovation policy. He will replace Professor Park, who has been leading the organisation since ESRC's former Executive Chair, Jennifer Ruben, stepped down in early 2021.

Commenting on his new appointment, Westlake said: 'It is a great honour to be selected as the next Executive Chair of ESRC. I firmly believe that rigorous, engaged social science holds the answer to our most pressing challenges - and can change the world for the better. I look forward to working with the research community, with users of research, and with the public to help social science thrive and make its benefits felt widely.'

Web site: www.ukri.org .