Colin Hughes appointed Chair of Ordnance Survey
Colin Hughes has been appointed as the new Chair of Ordnance Survey by the UK Government, starting on 9 March 2025.
- The new Chair of Ordnance Survey has been named as Colin Hughes, starting from March 2025
- Colin has held a range of senior leadership roles, and is the current CEO of AQA
- Current Chair, Stephen Lake, will step down at the end of his final term
Colin will remain in his current position as CEO of AQA while taking on his new role as Ordnance Survey Chair.
Colin previously held senior leadership positions in the education, publishing and media sectors, including Managing Director of Collins Learning for eight years. Before this, he founded Learnthings Ltd (the Guardian’s digital learning business) in 2000 and was appointed Managing Director of Guardian Professional in 2006. Earlier, Colin worked as a journalist for the Press Association and The Times, before moving to the Independent, where he was Managing and Deputy Editor.
Colin has held chair positions with the Education Publishers Council from 2014 to 2018, and chaired Middlesex University for eight years and is currently Chair of Staffordshire University.
The current chair Stephen Lake will step down at the end of his final term, having served since 2021 and as non-executive director on the board since 2014.
Speaking on his appointment, new Chair of Ordnance Survey Colin Hughes said:
I’m hugely excited to be joining the Board of Ordnance Survey at this moment of great opportunity for one of the UK’s most dynamic organisations. OS has incomparable potential for innovating in digital and data to support growth and gain in our society and economy, and it will be a privilege to support Nick Bolton and his team in realising their plans to maximise that value.
Technology Minister, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch said:
My congratulations to Colin Hughes on his appointment as Chair of Ordnance Survey.
Drawing on Colin’s vast leadership experience, Ordnance Survey will continue to play an important role in re-imagining the way we use location data to improve public services, support businesses, and unlock economic growth as part of our Plan for Change.
Ordnance Survey Chief Executive Nick Bolton added:
I’m thrilled to welcome Colin as the new Chair of Ordnance Survey. This is an exciting time for us, and Colin’s experience in digital transformation, along with his vision and expertise, will be invaluable as we continue to achieve our strategic goals and deliver exceptional value to our customers and the country more broadly.
I would also like to extend my thanks to Stephen Lake, who is leaving the OS Board after 10 years. Stephen has contributed much through a period of significant change for the organisation and leaves us in a stronger position.
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