The IRB oversees ICAEW’s regulatory and disciplinary work, ensuring it is carried out in the public interest and supports trust in the profession.

Its role includes ensuring that the Professional Standards Department performs its duties effectively, and that the regulatory and disciplinary committees carry out their functions efficiently and fairly.

Established in 2014 following an independent review of ICAEW’s regulatory governance, the IRB has parity of lay and Chartered Accountant members, and helps maintain a clear distinction between ICAEW’s representative and regulatory roles.

Jane, who is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, is a governance, audit and regulatory specialist with more than 30 years’ experience operating at a senior level across large, complex organisations including BDO and Aquila Advisory. She has extensive experience of audit regulation, independence, risk management and ethical frameworks. This includes serving for seven years on ICAEW’s Practice Assurance Committee as well as on the FRC’s Technical Advisory Committee.

Marina is a senior leader and board member with over 25 years’ experience in regulation, strategy and transformation across the communications, technology, professional services and charity sectors. She most recently held the role of Policy Director at Ofcom, where she worked for 18 years. As Non-Executive Director, Marina has served on the Legal Services Board, where she contributed to strategy, governance and oversight in a complex multi-regulator environment.

Julie is a technology transformation leader with over 30 years' international experience. She brings significant experience of governance and regulatory frameworks from both the public and private sectors, including authoring the UK Cabinet Office governance framework for agile service delivery, which was adopted across government.

Parjinder Basra, ICAEW Regulatory Board Chair, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Jane, Marina and Julie to the ICAEW Regulatory Board. Their breadth of experience across regulation, governance, technology and professional services will further strengthen the board’s work in overseeing ICAEW’s regulatory and disciplinary functions. Upholding standards is central to maintaining trust in ICAEW Chartered Accountants, and the ICAEW Regulatory Board plays an important role in supporting high standards in the public interest. I look forward to working with them all.”

Jane said:

“My career has been shaped by a commitment to ethical leadership and the protection of the public interest. Strong governance relies on independent judgement, transparency and constructive challenge. I am delighted to be joining the IRB, and supporting Parjinder and the Board in strengthening trust in the profession and upholding high standards.”

Marina said:

“I am delighted to join the ICAEW Regulatory Board as a Lay Member. ICAEW’s mission to protect the public interest and uphold the profession’s reputation aligns strongly with my long-standing commitment to advancing the public interest. Across my executive career at Ofcom and non-executive roles with the Legal Services Board and GambleAware, I have focused on improving outcomes for consumers and citizens. I look forward to contributing to proportionate, forward-looking regulation and supporting a culture of continuous learning to help ensure the profession remains trusted, relevant and resilient in the face of new challenges.”

Julie said:

"Public trust in the profession increasingly depends on how well regulation keeps pace with technology and AI. I look forward to working with the ICAEW Regulatory Board to ensure that change is introduced in ways the profession can absorb and the public can rely on."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

More information about the ICAEW Regulatory Board can be found on ICAEW’s website.

Jane Fowler biography

Jane is a senior governance, audit and regulatory specialist with more than 30 years’ experience operating at leadership level across large, complex organisations. Her career has been defined by a commitment to ethical conduct, public interest accountability and the development of robust professional standards. She is a Fellow of ICAEW and has held senior roles in major professional services firms, including BDO LLP, PKF, Vantis PLC and KPMG.

Jane has extensive experience of audit regulation, independence, risk management and ethical frameworks. At BDO LLP she served as Director of Ethics & Regulatory Compliance and later as Director within the Technical Standards Group. She also acted as Secretary to BDO’s Public Interest Committee, supporting Independent Non Executives in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities under the Audit Firm Governance Code.

Her regulatory and governance experience includes seven years as a member of the ICAEW Practice Assurance Committee, and she has also served on the FRC Technical Advisory Committee, advising on the interpretation and implementation of ethics and independence standards.

Marina Gibbs biography

Marina is a senior leader and board member with over 25 years’ experience working at the intersection of regulation, strategy and transformation across the communications, technology, professional services and charity sectors.

Her executive career includes more than 15 years at the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, where she led large-scale, high-impact consumer protection and competition policy programmes in telecoms and post responding to market and technological change. Prior to this, Marina spent more than ten years in strategy consulting, advising global telecoms and technology companies, investors, regulators and policymakers on strategy, regulation and transformation programmes.

As Non-Executive Director, Marina has served on the board of GambleAware, during a period of significant organisational and regulatory change, and the Legal Services Board, where she contributed to strategy, governance and oversight in a multi-regulator environment. Across these roles, Marina has brought oversight to strategy, performance, governance, risk, people, culture and DEI, as well as committee experience spanning audit, remuneration, performance and resources.

Julie Hendry biography

Julie is a technology transformation leader with over 30 years' international experience across government, financial services, life sciences and retail. She has held senior technology roles at organisations including Travis Perkins, Abcam and the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

She holds an MSc in Psychology (Distinction) from the University of Strathclyde and is a Fellow of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, where she serves as a committee member of the Ethics Specialist Group and is a member of the IT Leaders Forum. Her published research examines the cognitive impact of AI adoption on organisational decision-making, and she contributes to parliamentary consultations on technology governance, AI and children's digital safety.

Julie brings experience of governance and regulatory frameworks from both the public and private sectors, including authoring the UK Cabinet Office governance framework for agile service delivery, which was adopted across government. She is particularly interested in how technology reshapes professional conduct, and in ensuring regulatory oversight keeps pace with the tools practitioners increasingly rely on.