Lord Bichard appointed to senior role at RICS

Lord Michael Bichard, the civil servant who led the independent review into the governance of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), has been appointed as interim senior independent governor at the organisation, a new role which he proposed as part of his report published in June.

Bichard will start the job immediately and stay in post until ther end of next year, when a new appointment process will get underway.

The responsibilities of the senior independent governor include scrutinising the actions of the RICS’ governing council and committees.

The institution said the appointment will allow Bichard to oversee the timely implementation of his recommendations and provide certainty to RICS members that the reforms are being carried out.

Nick Maclean, interim governing council chair, said: “Our members were rightly impressed with Lord Bichard’s review and his passion for our profession.

“As we move to implement his recommendations at pace, we see no one better placed to work with us in the interim to ensure the actions follow our member feedback and sentiment, as Lord Bichard received this directly, or to hold the board to account in setting the strategy of the organisation to meet the challenges of the future.”

Other reforms recommended by Bichard include setting up a new committee for improving member services, reviewing fees and launching independent reviews into the RICS every five years.

SOURCE: Property Industry Eye | AUGUST 10, 2022 | MARC DA SILVA