The Office for National Statistics has announced the appointment of Luke Ashton as its new director general for digital, data and technology.
Ashton joins the ONS from Barclays, where he was group chief data officer and process automation lead.
The appointment is the latest in a series of hires as the ONS looks to turn around its performance after a review found "deep seated" problems at the department and said they required a restructuring of the organisation’s top leadership.
ONS permanent secretary Darren Tierney, who joined the department in August, said he is “delighted” by the appointment of Ashton to “an instrumental role for the organisation as we work through legacy systems and prepare for the future”.
He added: “Luke brings a wealth of knowledge with him and his technical and leadership skills will be hugely valued across the organisation.
"I am confident that Luke's appointment will bring the clarity, pace and strategic direction needed to modernise our digital and technical capabilities so that we remain both resilient and future‑focused."
James Benford joined the ONS from the Bank of England in August as its DG for economic statistics.
Another recruit from the banking sector, Ashton has been group chief data officer at Barclays since 2020, with responsibility for the setting and implementing the bank’s governance framework for data, records and non-financial regulatory reporting, and providing oversight on new uses of data.
He has also been the bank’s process automation lead since 2024, accountable for driving automation activity as part of the group's transformation strategy to improve efficiency and service quality.
Ashton said: “I’m delighted to be joining the ONS at such a pivotal moment.
“As the organisation continues its recovery, I’m excited about working with colleagues across ONS and the wider digital and data community to shape a digital foundation that is resilient, responsive, and ready for the future.”
Ashton began his career as a student engineer in the Ministry of Defence, and after graduation with Deloitte, where he worked as a consultant on major technology infrastructure projects for a range of financial services firms.