The Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Asbof) has appointed Sarah Munby as the new ASA Independent Reviewer.

The Independent Reviewer is an important part of the ASA system, providingthe opportunity for decisions of the ASA Council to be reconsidered where there is evidence that the decision or process may not have been right.

Sarah’s career has spanned senior roles in both the private and public sectors. Most recently, Sarah was the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), where she oversaw the UK’s approach to technological change, including developments in AI, online safety and scientific research. Prior to this, she was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), leading much of government’s support to business during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the UK’s response to climate change and the energy crisis. She has wide experience of regulation, having held oversight responsibilities across many of the UK’s leading regulators. 

Before joining the civil service, Sarah was a Partner at McKinsey, where she led the firm’s Strategy and Corporate Finance practice in the UK and Ireland. She worked on issues of strategic change and transformation with some of the most significant businesses in the UK and globally. She worked particularly closely with consumer-facing businesses, dealing with the opportunities and challenges associated with digital transformation. 

Sarah is currently on the Board of the University of Manchester and previously sat on the Board of UK Government Investments (UKGI).

Sarah said: “I welcome the chance to contribute to the system that helps keep UK advertising fair and responsible. The UK’s approach is a world-leading model of industry self-regulation, supporting a thriving and creative sector and protecting consumers. I look forward to providing the independent judgement that acts as an important backstop in that system.”

Mark Lund, Chair of Asbof, said: “I’m delighted that we are appointing someone of such high intellectual calibre and wide-ranging experience as Sarah to the Independent Reviewer position. Independent review is the backstop of trust in the ASA system, and she will be a very valuable addition to the team.”

The Independent Review process is open to advertisers, complainants or broadcasters who have been a party either to a final ruling of the ASA Council or a Council decision not to further investigate a complaint beyond initial assessment.

Sarah will take up the role on 16 March. She takes over from Rachel Childs, who has filled the role in an interim capacity since 1 September 2025, when Sir Hayden Phillips retired after more than 15 years.

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