Charity Commission Chair welcomes new members of the regulator
Regulator also publishes updated governance framework
Baroness Stowell MBE, Chair of the Charity Commission, has welcomed the appointment of Tony Cohen, Ian Karet and Nina Hingorani-Crain as new members to the Commission.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport today announced the appointment of the new board members.
They replace Eryl Besse and Tony Leifer, whose terms of office come to an end in December 2018, and fill a current vacancy. The new members will take up their positions on 1 January 2019.
Their combined experience brings a wealth of knowledge and skills that will help the Commission deliver on its new 5 year strategy, published in October.
Baroness Stowell said:
I am delighted to welcome Nina, Tony and Ian to the Commission. They were stand-out candidates from a high quality field, and each bring valuable skills and strong leadership. We have defined a positive new purpose and set an ambitious strategy for the next five years - I am confident each will make a hugely valuable contribution in the months and years ahead. I look forward to working with them and all members of the Commission to ensure that charity can thrive and inspire trust and deliver as much benefit as possible back to society.
Tony Leifer and Eryl have also made significant contributions in their time at the Commission. I have valued their advice immensely over the last year and they have worked tirelessly throughout their six years on the Board in order that the Commission regulates charities effectively and in the public interest.
These new appointments also come as the regulator publishes an updated governance framework. As part of this new framework, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer joins the Commission’s Board. This change means that the CEO’s role as accounting officer is more clearly represented at the highest level of corporate decision-making and brings the Commission into line with recommended governance practices of other similar bodies.
The updated governance framework provides further information about roles and responsibilities of the Board and the way that the Commission is organised.
Meet the new Commission members
Tony Cohen
Tony Cohen was chair of trustees at Barnardo’s for four and a half years until May this year. He has also served on a number of other not-for-profit boards, including the Arvon Foundation, City of Westminster College and the RSA. After working as a newspaper journalist and television producer in the UK, Tony ran a television company in the US. He was then CEO of FremantleMedia, a major international television production, distribution and rights company, specialising in prime time entertainment, drama and factual programming, for over 11 years from 2001 until 2012. Tony is a Sloan Fellow of the London Business School and a Fellow of the RTS.
Nina Hingorani-Crain
Nina has had a diverse career in the private, public and charity sectors. After almost a decade in corporate finance and consulting, she joined the Financial Services regulator. Here she spent a varied 10 years, including as the Chairman’s Principal Private Secretary during the global financial crisis and subsequently as Chief of Staff leading the creation of the new Financial Conduct Authority. Nina also undertook a 6-month secondment to Age UK to inform the FCA’s strategy of placing consumer needs at the heart of its regulatory mandate. In 2015 she embarked on a Non-Executive career, and is today a Director on the Boards of the Monmouthshire Building Society (the second largest building society in Wales), Achieving For Children (an award-winning provider of children’s services) and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (a mental and community health trust). Nina holds an LL.B. (Hons) degree from King’s College London, and a Maîtrise en Droit from the Sorbonne Paris. She has also qualified as a Chartered Accountant, and has recently completed the Financial Times Non-Executive Director Diploma. She enjoyed a diverse upbringing with spells living in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Ian Karet
Ian Karet is a solicitor and a partner of Linklaters LLP. He specialises in Intellectual Property and Technology and handles a range of commercial matters and disputes. He is a Solicitor Advocate, a qualified arbitrator and trained mediator. He read Chemistry at Oxford. Ian is also a member of the Civil Justice Council and a Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, appointed in 2014, where he currently chairs the Finance Committee. He has served on the board of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property and writes and speaks on intellectual property issues.
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