Jonathan Saks
Biography
Jonny is the Chief Economist at the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). He was formerly in a similar role at the National Infrastructure Commission, which he joined in October 2023. He previously worked at the Department for Transport, where he headed up a multidisciplinary analysis division serving the department鈥檚 Aviation, Maritime and Security Group, and has extensive senior experience leading analytical programmes across government, working across a wide transport brief.
As an economist his experience includes leading funding bids and strategic analysis in Spending Reviews and fiscal events, being a senior advisor on public/private funding negotiations, heading up technical delegations at international negotiations, and delivering a range of large, innovative modelling and forecasting programmes. He also lead the analysis on the Global Travel Task Force during the COVID pandemics, and was lead economic advisor at the Airports Commission. Jonny is also a regular contributor and chair for expert panels at the OECD.
Chief Economist
Leads the economics and analysis team within the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which provides economic and analytical advice on infrastructure to senior officials and ministers across NISTA, HMT and relevant infrastructure departments.
In addition to providing robust and well-evidenced economic and analytical advice to support the 10 year Infrastructure Strategy, the Chief Economic supports the development and use of high quality economic and analytical expertise across NISTA; ensures NISTA policies and decisions are informed by rigorous evidence and constitute value for money; works across Whitehall to ensure robust and effective economic analysis of infrastructure feeds into government decision making; and contributes with other chief economists to a vibrant Government Economic Service.
National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority