Conduct Committee
Role of the Conduct Committee
The Conduct Committee (the ‘Committee’) is responsible for the oversight the FRC’s enquiries, investigations and enforcement function, ensuring that appropriate cases are investigated and conducted fairly, in the public interest, in a timely manner and in accordance with due process and the Regulators code.
The Conduct Committee comprises FRC Board members and others with a range of skills, experience and relevant technical expertise. Membership of the Committee excludes current practising auditors as well as employees or officers of the professional bodies regulated by the FRC.
| Name | Terms of Reference |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 8 June 2023 |
| Notes | The responsibilities of the Conduct Committee are set out in the Committee's Terms of Reference. |
| Format | PDF, 136.9 KB |
| Name | General Committee Terms |
| Publication date | 8 June 2023 |
| Notes | The Conduct Committee also adheres to the General Committee Terms. |
| Format | PDF, 134.1 KB |
Committee Members
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David Willis
Chair
Appointed as Chair 1 April 2022
David is a solicitor by profession and was a partner in international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills (and predecessor firm Herbert Smith) for many years. He was Managing Partner of Herbert Smith from 2008-2012 and Joint CEO of Herbert Smith Freehills from 2012-2014. He is currently Chair of Paradigm Trust, a multi-academy trust, and Vice Chair of United Response, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, where he chairs the Finance and Resources Committee. He was previously a member of the governing body of Queen Mary University of London, where he chaired the Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, where he chaired the Finance and Audit Committee and was a member of the Law Society Group Audit Committee.
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Angela Cha
Member
Appointed 1 April 2022
Angela is a solicitor and a former partner of the international law firm Pinsent Masons where she was joint head of the financial services (FS) sector group and head of the outsourcing, commercial, and technology practice in London. She specialised in advising FS sector clients on major change and business transformation projects. After her private practice career with Pinsent Masons, Angela continued her legal career working with FS sector clients on a consulting basis.
Angela is a non-executive director on the Board of Bath Building Society where she is also Chair of the Remuneration Committee. Outside of the FS sector, Angela is a co-opted member of the Audit and Risk Committee at the NSPCC.
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Richard Murray
Senior Advisor
Appointed 1 January 2021.
Richard is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and was an Audit and Assurance partner for 27 years in the London office of Ernst & Young (now EY) until 2011. He specialised principally in the audit of multinationals, both UK and US Listed, as well as many domestic UK Listed companies. In addition, he has undertaken both Investigative and Corporate Advisory assignments.
At EY, Richard acted for a wide range of commercial and industrial enterprises mainly within the Extractive (Mining and Oil & Gas), Leisure (Tourism and Airlines) and Hospitality (Hotels, Pubs and Restaurants) sectors.
Since his retirement from EY, Richard served for 3 years as a Non Executive Director and Audit Committee Chairman of JKX Oil & Gas Plc.
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Sir Jan du Plessis
Member
Appointed 12 September 2023
Sir Jan has served as Chair of various public companies over the last 18 years: BT Group plc (2017 to 2021); Rio Tinto plc (2009 to 2018); SABMiller plc (2014 to 2016); RHM plc (2005 to 2007); and British American Tobacco plc (2004 to 2009). These roles have given him extensive experience in leadership and governance of some major public companies. He has also had multiple interactions with the institutional investment community and gained meaningful insight into the challenges facing the audit services sector.
Sir Jan has also served as non-executive director of Marks and Spencer Group plc and Lloyds Banking Group plc. From 1988 to 2004 he was CFO of Richemont.
Sir Jan is also Chair of the People Committee and Regulatory Standards and Codes Committee.
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Sean Collins
Senior Advisor
Appointed 1 January 2021.
Sean joined Peat, Marwick Mitchell & Co (now KPMG) in 1972 beginning a career which would encompass audit, taxation, financial investigations and consulting.
He became a partner on his transfer to the Malaysian practice in 1985, where he led the financial services practice as well as the technical advisory department. On his return to London, he assumed responsibility for the firm's leasing practice and then the telecommunications and media practice, for which he was global leader for more than 10 years. After a second period in Asia, directing the Asia-Pacific practice from 2009 to 2012 from Singapore, he retired from KPMG.
Her served for three years as Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chairman of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc and over seven years as Audit Committee Chair at JTG (Jersey Telecom).
He is currently Crown Representative at the Cabinet Office, a Member of Council of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs and on the Board of Trustees at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
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David Snell
Senior Advisor
David was an Audit and Assurance partner in the London office of PwC until December 2018.
He led PwC’s Law Firm Advisory Group, specialising in providing audit, consulting and transaction support services to the legal sector both in the UK and internationally.
In addition he was an audit and transaction support partner working with Listed companies in the UK both on the Main Market and AIM.
David developed a keen interest in Governance through his PwC career, having written many articles and reports on the subject (including a PwC report on Corporate Governance). He has presented on the subject on numerous occasions including chairing panels at the LSE on the importance of good governance.
Since leaving PwC, he has undertaken various consulting projects through his own company as well as joining the Board of Simmons & Simmons LLP in November 2019, chairing their Audit and Risk Management Committees.
David has worked in London for the whole of his professional career and has been instrumental in a number of initiatives over the years designed to promote London’s role as a major global city.
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Anne Whitaker
Senior Advisor
Anne Whitaker is a former EY Audit partner with a portfolio of non-Executive and charity roles, including independent NED and Audit Committee Chair at Markel International Insurance Company Ltd and Chair of the Risk and Audit Committee at Hitachi Capital (UK) plc. As the former Head of Audit and Risk Partner for EY’s UK Financial Services Practice, Anne specialised in asset management audits, including funds and investment trusts as well as other financial services. Some of Anne’s previous non-Executive roles include NED and Audit Committee Chair at Barts Health NHS Trust and Chair of the Audit and Risk Assessment Committee of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). She has also previously volunteered as an advisor for MicroVentures (a microfinance charity operating in Malawi).
Anne was previously Chair of the Audit Quality Review Committee and was a member of the Conduct and Supervision Committees from September 2019 to March 2022.