About Us
Who we are
Commissioners have executive responsibility for core functions, including the judgements reached in its forecasts.
Professor Graeme Roy
Chair
Graeme Roy is a Professor in Economics and Assistant Vice Principal at the University of Glasgow. Between 2016 and 2021, he led the Fraser of Allander Institute and was the Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Strathclyde. He is a former Senior Economist and Senior Civil Servant in the Scottish Government. He is an editor of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Economic Observatory, a past adviser to the cross-party Economy Committee of the Scottish Parliament, and an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Professor Roy was appointed 1 June 2022 and his first term ends 31 May 2026.
Professor Domenico Lombardi
Domenico Lombardi, an economist and a public policy expert, is Professor of Practice in Public Policy in the School of Government, and Director of the Policy Observatory at Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (LUISS University), Rome. A former executive in banks and financial institutions, he was a think tank executive at CIGI, Canada, a senior scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington, and an advisor to several think tanks worldwide. He has led high-profile evaluations on the governance of the Financial Stability Board, the World Bank and the IMF. Previously, Professor Lombardi served as an executive board member of the IMF and the World Bank. He holds a degree summa cum laude from Bocconi University, Milan and a PhD in economics from Oxford University, Nuffield College, where he was a Chevening Scholar. Professor Lombardi was appointed 1 June 2022 and his first term ends 31 May 2026.
Professor Francis Breedon
Francis Breedon is Professor of Economics and Finance at Queen Mary University of London where his research focuses mainly on financial markets and macro-economic policy. He has broad economic policy and forecasting experience including as a senior economist at the Bank of England. He has been involved in a number of policy reviews and is currently a member of the Fiscal Policy Panel for the States of Jersey. Professor Breedon was appointed 8 October 2018 and his second term ends 7 October 2025.
Professor David Ulph CBE FRSE
David Ulph is Professor Emeritus in the School of Economics and Finance at the University of St Andrews having been Professor of Economics there between 2006 and January 2021, and Director of the Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE) between 2010-2017. His research covers a wide range of issues relating to public policy, including the design and performance of taxes and benefits. From 2001-2006 he was Chief Economist and Director of Analysis at HM Revenue and Customs (initially Inland Revenue) where, amongst other things, he was personally accountable for the forecasts of all UK tax revenues, and the measurement of UK National Income. From 2015-2021 he was a member of the NHS Pay Review Body. In 2017 he was appointed as a member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal. Professor Ulph was appointed 8 October 2018 and his second term ends 7 October 2025.
Audit and Risk Committee – External Members
Sarah Pumfrett
Sarah Pumfrett is a Chartered Certified Accountant, Chartered Internal Auditor and Specialist Member of the Institute of Risk Management. Following an extensive executive career within internal audit and business risk assurance spanning both public and private sectors, she currently chairs the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committees of both the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, and Livestock Information Ltd.
Catriona McConnell
Catriona has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services sector. She currently works in internal audit but has held roles across all three lines of defence. Catriona graduated from Heriot-Watt University and is a Chartered Banker.
Staff
We comprise around 25 staff recruited from the Scottish and UK civil service, academia and the private sector.
Senior Management Team
John Ireland
Chief Executive
John joined the Commission as its chief executive in May 2017. Before he became a civil servant he worked on the UK and Scottish economic modelling in London and Glasgow, including a spell as Director of Strathclyde University’s Fraser of Allander Institute. As a civil servant he’s worked as an economist on enterprise and education. He’s also worked on energy and climate change policy.
Michael Davidson
Head of Social Security and Devolved Taxes
Michael joined the Commission in Summer 2022 and leads the teams working on social security and fully devolved tax forecasts. He previously worked in the Scottish Government in a range of analytical roles, most recently in social security analysis. Before joining the civil service Michael worked in the private sector as an economic consultant.
Claire Murdoch
Head of Fiscal Sustainability and Public Funding
Claire leads the Commission’s work on fiscal sustainability and the Scottish Budget. She joined the Commission in 2016 to set up the organisation and was responsible for the fully devolved tax and social security forecasts. Previously she worked as an economist in the civil service and studied economics at university in the UK and Germany. Claire works Monday to Thursday.
David Stone
Head of Economy and Income Tax
David is responsible for forecasts of the Scottish economy and income tax. Prior to joining the Commission in 2017 he held varied posts working as a civil service economist: on tax modelling to support the UK Budget in HMRC, renewable energy forecasting in DECC, and economic modelling in the Scottish Government. David works part time, and when he’s not busy forecasting he’s caring for his two young children.
Susie Warden
Head of Strategy, Governance, and Corporate Services
Susie joined the Commission in July 2018 and leads the corporate team, responsible for our governance, communications, finances, corporate systems, and strategy. She previously worked in the Scottish Government in various roles, including creating new criminal offences, climate change targets, setting up new organisations and policies about public bodies. Susie works part time.
Dame Susan Rice DBE: Chair, July 2014 – June 2022
Professor Alasdair Smith: April 2017 – March 2022
David Wilson: April 2017 – July 2018
Previous Commissioners on the Non-Statutory Commission
Professor Charles Nolan: July 2016 – March 2017
Professor Campbell Leith: June 2014 – March 2017
Professor Andrew Hughes Hallet: June 2014 – July 2016