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Sam Beckett has been appointed as the new Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury, replacing Clare Lombardelli.

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, has announced the appointment of Sam Beckett as the new Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury. She replaces Clare Lombardelli, who was recently appointed as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Chief Economist.

Sam will become the sole head of the Government Economic Service, a role she previously led jointly. Sam joins the Treasury from her current role as Second Permanent Secretary at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Deputy Chief Executive at the UK Statistics Authority. Sam is well-equipped with over 25 years’ experience at Treasury, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and the Cabinet Office in roles spanning macro and micro-economics, fiscal policy, and strategy.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said:

“I am thrilled to congratulate Sam on her well-deserved appointment and welcome her back to the Treasury. Her economic expertise and leadership in a range of government departments will be indispensable as we focus on our priorities of growing the economy, reducing debt and halving inflation.”

Permanent Secretary to the Treasury James Bowler said:

“Sam has extensive macro and microeconomic experience leading across the economic landscape and is an expert policy maker. I look forward to working with her as we tackle the economic challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Sam Beckett said:

“I am incredibly honoured to be chosen for a role at the heart of the UK economy. I look forward to joining a strong team of officials as we further bolster economic prosperity for the whole of the UK.”

Further information

Sam will be the head of the Government Economic Service having been the joint head alongside Clare Lombardelli, former Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury. She will also be appointed Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury. Sam became Second Permanent Secretary at the ONS and the Deputy Chief Executive at the UK Statistics Authority in September 2020.

As acting Permanent Secretary at BEIS, she oversaw the COVID-19 response and prior to that she was the Director General at BEIS responsible for the Department’s EU-exit preparations. At the Treasury, she was Director of Fiscal Group where she led the fiscal policy response to the financial crisis.

Sam studied PPE at New College, Oxford and has an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics. She was made a Companion of the Bath (CB) in 2020 and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2021.