Barron has spent more than 20 years working in television news and current affairs at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, before working in external relations at Google from 2008 to 2018, and then at Stripe from 2021 to 2023.

Spowage is director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, an economic research institute at the University of Strathclyde, and leads on research on modelling economic impact, economic measurement, regional economic and trade performance and public sector finances.

Before that role, Spowage was deputy chief executive at the Scottish Fiscal Commission and head of national accounts at the Scottish government.

Walsh is a risk and governance specialist, currently advising clients in different sectors and with prior experience as risk director roles at Telegraph Media Group, Guardian Media Group, Save the Children and Imperial College London.

Presently, Walsh serves as a non-executive director at the Royal College of Nursing Publishing, including membership of the Royal College of Nursing’s Audit Committee and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Walsh also serves as independent non-executive member of the audit and risk committees for Science Museum Group, St John’s Ambulance and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

The three new directors will replace Professor Sir John Aston, Nora Nanayakkara, and former deputy chair Sian Jones in the roles.

Sir Robert Chote, chair at the UK Statistics Authority, said: “I am delighted to welcome Peter, Mairi and Sarah to the authority’s board. They will be great assets to the board and to its oversight of the Office for National Statistics, the Office for Statistics Regulation and the Government Statistical Service, the three pillars of the UK’s official statistical system.

“They join the board in a time of sustained pressure but also great opportunity for the system. Their decades of varied experience will help us respond in a considered and thoughtful way.”