Charles Counsell OBE has been announced as the Interim Chair to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for a nine-month term.

Appointed by the Secretary of State, Counsell will step into the role starting 1 February, 2025. He’s been the Senior Independent Director at the UKGC since April this year.

Previously, Counsell took the responsibilities of the CEO of The Pensions Regulator between April 2019 and March 2023. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director of Automatic Enrolment at the same public body, as well as the CEO of the Money Advice Service.

During his tenure as the CEO of The Pensions Regulator, the new gambling Interim Chair was in charge of developing a corporate strategy that put pension saver at the heart of the non-departmental service.