Ian Diamond

Sir Ian David Diamond FBA FRSE FAcSS DL (born 14 March 1954) is a British statistician, academic, and administrator, who served as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen until 2018. He will be the UK's National Statistician on 6 August 2019, to take effect on 22 October 2019.

Diamond was born Kingskerswell, Devon on 14 March 1954. He obtained a BSc (Hons) degree in Economics in 1975 and an MSc degree in Statistics in 1976, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In 1981, he received a PhD degree in Statistics from the University of St Andrews.

Diamond became Principal of the University of Aberdeen in 2010, replacing Sir Duncan Rice. He announced in August 2017 that he would retire from this role, and was succeeded in this post by George Boyne in August 2018.

Sir Ian's previous appointments include Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council, Chair of the Research Councils UK Executive Group, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Southampton. Chair of Lloyds Banking Group Foundation for England and Wales, Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College Oxford.

Sir Ian is currently Chair of British Universities and Colleges Sport, Chair of the Department for International Development Research Advisory Group, 2018. Chair of Edinburgh College of Further Education, Chair of Plan International UK, Chair of the Council for Mathematical Sciences; and a Board Member of UK Research and Innovation, UK Statistics Authority, the Population Investigation Committee and Aberystwyth University.

Sir Ian was formerly a Trustee of the Iona Cathedral Trust, WWF UK, the National Centre for Social Research, UCAS and the British Academy and Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee from 2018-2019.

Sir Ian has authored or co-authored seven books and government reports, contributed to a further 34, and authored over 100 academic papers. In 2016 he led a review of University finance in Wales which was commissioned by the Welsh Government, which recommended that grants towards tuition fees should be replaced with support for living costs instead.

Sir Ian's appointment as National Statistician, in succession to John Pullinger, was announced on 6 August 2019, and he will take up the post full time on 22 October 2019.

Sir Ian is married to Jane. He is also a qualified football referee.

• 1999: Elected to the UK Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS)
• 2000: Clifford C. Clogg Award from the Population Association of America
• 2005: Honorary Fellowship of Cardiff University
• 2005: Fellow of the British Academy (FBA)
• 2006: Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) University of Glasgow
• 2009: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE)
• 2012: Elected Burgess, City of Aberdeen
• 2013: Knight Bachelor, "for services to social science and higher education"
• 2013: Commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Aberdeen
• 2014: Appointed Deputy Lieutenant, City of Aberdeen
• Honorary Degrees: Cardiff, Glasgow