Gareth Hadley was born in 1951. In the earlier stages of his career he undertook various personnel and employee relations roles for the Greater London Council between 1972 and 1986. He served as Assistant Director of Personnel for Inner London Education Authority from 1986 to 1989. He was Group Employee Relations Manager for the British Railways Board between 1989 and 1994. He was then Employee Relations Director for British Railways Group and Human Resources Director for the British Railways North and West Passenger Operations from 1994 to 1997. He then left the railways at privatisation and became the Personnel Director of Her Majesty's Prison Service in 1999, serving until 2006. In 2007 he joined the NHS Appointment Commission as Commissioner until 2012. Since 2013 he has been the Chair of the General Optical Council.