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People Committee

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Role of the People Committee

The purpose of the People Committee is to provide the FRC Executive with challenge, constructive dialogue and strategic direction on issues relating to the appointment and recruitment, remuneration, talent management and welfare of FRC staff and non-executive members and to take high-level decisions on such issues as necessary.

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Committee Members

Ruwan Weerasekera

Chair

Appointed 1 September 2021

Ruwan is the former COO and a Managing Partner of SoftBank Investment Advisers, a Managing Director and COO for Securities at UBS Investment Bank and Partner of Accenture. He is also a former Senior Independent Director of ICBC Standard Bank PLC and a Non-Executive Director of London North West University Health Care Trust.

Ruwan is also a non-executive director of the FRC Board, a member of the Audit & Risk Committee, the Non-Executive Director designated for engagement with the workforce.

Sir Jan du Plessis

Member

Appointed 10 February 2022

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 the Chairman of the FRC Board.

Clare Thompson

Member

Appointed 1 April 2022

Clare is a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit Committee at M&G plc. She is also Senior Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee at Bupa. She retired from PwC in 2011 having been a partner for 23 years. At PwC she was audit/lead partner on major financial services groups and served UK Insurance leader and a member of the UK Assurance executive team.

Since leaving PwC she has built a portfolio of non-executive roles and has served as Chair of the Audit Committee of Bupa’s UK insurance business, a non-executive director of Direct Line Insurance Group plc, a non-executive director of Retail Charity Bonds plc, as Chair of the Audit Committee of Miller Insurance Services LLP and as Treasurer of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

She is a member of the ICAEW.

David Willis

Member

Appointed 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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Terms of Reference

The responsibilities of the People Committee are set out in the Committee's Terms of Reference.

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