Economist and Cambridge professor to become President in 2027-28, succeeding Oxford’s Tony Venables to lead the UK’s learned society for economists
Following its Annual General Meeting, The Royal Economic Society (RES) has announced that Dame Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, has been appointed President-Elect for 2026-27, when she will succeed the current RES President, Professor Tony Venables of the University of Oxford.
Professor Sarah Smith of the University of Bristol has been elected President-Elect for 2028-29.
In taking on the role, Diane, a leading economist known for her work on productivity, digital economies, and the measurement of economic growth, will help shape the Society’s research agenda, promote engagement between academic economics and public policy, and advance debate on how economic data and measurement can better reflect structural change in the modern economy.
Alongside the presidential changes, six new members to the RES Council were also confirmed, who will serve from June 2026 to June 2031. These include Prof. Gabriella Conti, Prof. Huw Dixon, Prof. Denise Hawkes, journalist Phillip Inman, Dr Dina Rabie, and Prof. Kunal Sen.
The Royal Economic Society is one of the UK’s oldest societies in economics, supporting research, policy engagement, and the dissemination of economic knowledge.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Bennett School of Public Policy.
