Ron Barclay-Smith (Chair)
Chair
Current position and background
Ron Barclay-Smith is currently the Chair of the British Transport Police Authority, a role he has held since 2018.
Ron served in the Royal Air Force Regiment until 1992, in both command and staff appointments in the UK and overseas, in air defence, light armoured and parachute operational roles and retired as a wing commander.
After leaving the RAF to pursue a civilian career, he became Regional Director of Performance Management at Trent Regional Health Authority from 1992 to 1993. After that he held a number of senior posts in both the public and private sectors, including as Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Health Authority from 1993 to 1995 and Chief Executive of 9 Gough Square (now Deka Chambers), one of the largest barristers’ chambers in England, from 2010 to 2011. From there he left to become Chief Executive of South Square, a leading corporate insolvency, restructuring and business law chambers in England, from 2011 to 2017. He retired in 2017.
Ron was a Non-Executive Director of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority from 2017 to 2021 and a lay member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Regulatory Tribunal from 2017 to 2024. He was also the Executive Chair of Veterans Scotland, a charity which coordinates the activities of over 50 Service and veterans’ charities across Scotland, from 2006 to 2010.
Ron is a former fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is currently a fellow of the Institute of Directors. He is a Chartered Director.
Appointed 1 April 2025
