Colin Lynch was welcomed as the Government Statistician and Chief Executive of Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa in January 2026. As Government Statistician Colin is responsible for how and when we produce statistics, authorising all statistics and data Stats NZ publishes. The Government Statistician's duties and independence are set out in the Data and Statistics Act 2022: Section 14 Duties of Government Statistician and Section 15 Independence of Government Statistician

Colin also holds the role as Government Chief Data Steward supporting government to realise the potential of data to improve wellbeing, while maintaining and building trust in its use. In this role he also leads New Zealand’s open data programme.

Colin was previously Deputy Chief Executive, Policy at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, a role he has held since June 2024. He’s held senior leadership positions in both the public and private sectors including as Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deputy Chief Executive at the Ministry of Justice, Deputy Government Statistician roles at Stats NZ, as well as senior roles at the Treasury.

Colin holds a Master of Arts (Economics: First Class Honours) and a Joint Honours Degree in Economics and Sociology from University College Dublin. He completed executive education in Leading Change in Complex Organisations at MIT in 2013.The Government Statistician is responsible for how and when we produce statistics. All statistics and data we publish are authorised by the Government Statistician.