Today marks the beginning of a new streamlined structure of governance at RICS. In a world where trust is being eroded, our new boards will further enhance public trust by introducing more diverse and global expertise, alongside increased independent-led oversight of our standards and their enforcement. We believe these changes are further evidence that RICS and the profession is doing everything it can to live up to its 150-year-old Royal Charter to advance the public interest in all that it does.
The governance changes are part of a package of reforms voted on by the profession in 2018 which aim to advance societal trust, positioning the body to draw more effectively on the leadership and strategic oversight required to shape a forward-looking agenda for the profession.
A new Governing Council is announced today, and RICS welcomes the new professionals who have been elected with record turnout across 12 regions globally. Governing Council, RICS’ highest level governance body, also includes individuals bringing expertise from six strategic areas of the profession as well as the ambassadorial positions of RICS President, President-Elect and Senior Vice-President.
The governance modernisation has also established a new Standards and Regulation Board, with its Chair and the majority of its members being independent from the profession to provider greater confidence in our assurance regime. This Board will provide assurance across all RICS standards and how they are enforced globally. Under the reforms, the previous Conduct and Appeals Committee has been renamed the RICS Regulatory Tribunal to better reflect its important role in holding the profession to account for operating to the highest standards that society would expect.
Sean Tompkins, Chief Executive Officer at RICS commented:
“These reforms, endorsed by the profession, directly respond to the need for us to evolve our governance structures to continue to retain high levels of public trust and confidence in our profession and in RICS as a global professional body.
“Our profession is at the forefront of some of the biggest challenges facing the world and our next generations – from the need to consider climate change in all that we do, through to embracing digitisation, and responding to a rising population and the pressures this brings for our cities and natural resources.
“The strategic oversight our governance bodies provide is critical to ensuring RICS can continue to deliver confidence and lead positive change in the built and natural environment.
“I welcome all the new board members to our governance bodies from both within and outside of our profession. Their experience and leadership will be invaluable – both to the way we continue to qualify professionals, in ensuring we set and enforce the highest standards, as well as offering the thought leadership needed to tackle the major challenges that our next generations will face.”
