Mark Neale has decided to bring forward a planned retirement and stand down as Director General of the Bar Standards Board after six years in the role. Mark will leave the BSB at the end of March.

We are also announcing some changes to reinforce our operational teams. A rise in both the complexity and volume of enforcement and other operational work has meant that improving delivery has become more demanding and more urgent. We have decided to appoint a Chief Operating Officer (COO), who will have overall responsibility for all our regulatory operations.

Recruitment for a COO and the next Director General of the BSB is now underway.

Mark Neale, Director General, The Bar Standards Board said:

 “Responsibility for public protection and high standards is vitally important to public confidence. We must make changes to our operations to improve timeliness and efficiency so that we are more resilient and flexible in the face of volatile workload pressures. Meeting this challenge will extend well beyond my planned departure so I am bringing that forward in the interest of the BSB. After six hugely rewarding years, I am immensely proud of the engaged, independent, and diverse regulator the BSB has become. I would like to pay tribute to the contribution of all the brilliant and talented colleagues that I have personally enjoyed working with over the years.”

 Professor Christopher Bones, Chair, The Bar Standards Board said:

 “I want to thank Mark for his contributions and service to the Bar Standards Board. The Board’s priority is to retain a clear focus on establishing operational excellence and creating a regulatory system that operates effectively which enables confidence and meets the expectation of our stakeholders. These changes will help put in place process and resource solutions that will enable greater agility focused on outcomes and supported by clear measures of success.