Craig Watkins

Craig is a senior leader with more than 30 years of experience working in and alongside the public sector.

He is currently UK CEO at Verian, where he leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers and consultants focused on understanding human behaviour and applying evidence-based insights to shape better public policy and deliver positive societal outcomes.

Before joining Verian, Craig held senior roles in the UK Civil Service, where he became an expert in navigating complex, politically sensitive environments and advising senior politicians and officials. In his final civil service post, he led the development and delivery of the Ministry of Justice’s financial strategy. After 25 years in public service, he moved into the private sector to lead business development for EY’s UK Government and Public Sector Practice. During his time, the practice became the largest in the UK and one of the largest globally.

Craig has also served as an independent non-executive director and trustee at the Quality Assurance Agency, where he was Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee. He is a Certified Member of the Market Research Society.

A proud Cardiff University alumnus, Craig holds a BSc (Hons) in Zoology and once served as President of an early incarnation of the University’s Alternative Music Society.

Proudly Welsh and from a working-class background, Craig was the first in his family to attend university. He is a passionate believer in the power of education to change lives and expand opportunity. His own learning journey continued with an MBA, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Finance & Leadership, and a CIPFA accountancy qualification. He is currently fulfilling a long-held ambition to learn Welsh.

Having navigated life with an ADHD brain and as a parent to neurodiverse children, Craig is a committed advocate for neurodiversity and inclusion and celebrating difference as a key source of strength.