Baroness Maggie Jones appointed new chair of Acas
Baroness Maggie Jones of Whitchurch has been appointed as the new Chair of Acas, following a fair and open public appointment process.
Baroness Maggie Jones of Whitchurch has been appointed as the new Chair of Acas, following a fair and open public appointment process. She will start on the 01 April 2026, succeeding Clare Chapman, whose two terms as Chair ends on 31 March 2026.
Acas, the independent, impartial public body responsible for improving employment relations and conciliation services, is set to form an important part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay, assisting employers with implementing measures in the recently passed Employment Rights Act.
Baroness Jones will lead this change. She has years of experience in public policy and governance; chairing national boards across agriculture-technology, housing, and consumer dispute resolution.
On her appointment to the role, Baroness Jones said:
“It is a profound privilege to join an organisation whose purpose is to make working life better for everyone in Great Britain.
“It’s a cause I have supported all my professional career – from my early days as a Unison official, and my non-Executive roles, through to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
“The need for a strong, successful Acas that can build healthy workplace relationships and encourage productive organisations is more important now than ever.”
Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said:
“Baroness Jones has brought strong direction and commitment during her time in public service making her the ideal candidate to lead Acas forward as we implement the Employment Rights Act.
“I look forward to working with her to ensure Acas continues to be a trusted, independent voice for employers and employees alike. She will help to deliver the changes that will make work fairer and more secure for people across the country.
“I wish to also extend my thanks to Clare Chapman for her hard work and dedicated leadership of Acas over the last six years. Her stewardship oversaw a strategy that helped to reduce the impact of conflict at work and in the economy.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
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Baroness Jones previously served as a minister at the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology between 2024 and 2025.
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This appointment was conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In line with this, candidates are required to declare significant political activity. Baroness Jones declared that she is a Labour Peer and previously served as a member of the Government between July 2024 and September 2025.
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The last Acas Strategy (2021-2025) resulted in changes that led to millions more workers and employers accessing Acas services:
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The proportion of individual and collective disputes that Acas helped successfully resolve rose significantly, reducing stress, cost and time for all parties.
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Acas sustained record high settlement rates — above 70% for individual (Employment Tribunal) conciliation, 36% for Early Conciliation and 90% for collective conciliation.
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Acas’s online reach grew to 286 million appearances in search results