Seven new Social Mobility Commissioners appointed

• Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss, appoints 7 new commissioners to Social Mobility Commission board
• The appointments will support Katharine Birbalsingh in her role as Chair of the SMC
• The new board members will advance the independent work of the SMC following this year’s State of the Nation report

Dr Raghib Ali, Resham Kotecha, Matthew Goodwin, Ryan Henson, Rob Henderson*, Parminder Kohli and Rob Wilson have been appointed to the Board for a period of 4 years. They will make up a new panel of advisers from diverse ethnic backgrounds, with expertise stretching from academia to education and business.

Following the announcement of Katharine Birbalsingh and Alun Francis as the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC), the organisation released its State of the Nation report in June. The report, and accompanying speech by the Chair, have set a new direction for the work of the SMC, which the newly appointed Commissioners will help to advance.

Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss, said:

“Everyone in the UK should have the freedom to reach their full potential. These appointments are a positive step forward for equality in this country as we strive to improve social mobility and ensure everyone has the chance to succeed.

The combined expertise and experience of the new Commissioners will help the SMC to carry out its important work to ensure a person’s circumstances of birth do not determine outcomes in life.”

Further Information:

These appointments were conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The Social Mobility Commission is an independent statutory body (an organisation created by an Act of Parliament), established by The Life Chances Act 2010.

*Note: Rob Henderson has since stepped down from the Commission for personal reasons.