Ruth Lea

Ruth Lea "is Director of Global Vision and Non-Executive Director and Economic Advisor to Arbuthnot Banking Group. She is also a Governor of the London School of Economics.

"She was Director of the Centre for Policy Studies from 2004 to 2007 and Head of the Policy Unit at the Institute of Directors (IoD) between 1995 and 2003. Previously, she was the Economics Editor at ITN, Chief Economist at Mitsubishi Bank and Chief UK Economist at Lehman Brothers. She also spent 16 years in the Civil Service at the Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Central Statistical Office.

"Ruth has served on the Council of the Royal Economic Society, the National Consumer Council, the Nurses’ Pay Review Body, the ONS Statistics Advisory Committee, the ESRC Research Priorities Board and the Retail Prices Advisory Committee."

She is the author of many papers including Education and training: a business blueprint for reform (IoD, 2002), which argued the case for vocational training in the workplace for children of 14 and above, The Work-Life balance and all that (IoD, 2001), arguing that "the 'work-life balance' agenda for further employee rights and regulations is damaging the workplace and will damage it further", and Healthcare in the UK: the need for reform (IoD, 2000), which argued for the removal of the NHS from health provision.


 * Advisory Council, Speakers Corner Trust
 * Advisory Council, The People's Pledge

Positions held

 * University of London, Council member
 * London School of Economics, Governor
 * Royal Economic Society, Council member
 * National Consumer Council
 * Nurses Pay Review Body
 * ONS Statistics Advisory Committee
 * ESRC Research Priorities Board
 * Retail Prices Advisory Committee.