IOPC welcomes two new non-executive directors

Two new non-executive directors have been appointed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) Unitary Board following a robust open competition, conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Suzanne Jacob OBE and Clive Quantrill bring with them a wealth of experience from the public and private sectors and will provide valuable oversight and support our work.

Suzanne previously spent more than six years as chief executive at domestic abuse charity SafeLives. There, she developed and published the charity’s first public strategy; oversaw delivery of the DA Matters culture change programme for tens of thousands of police first responders; achieved changes in legislation; made survivor voice an integral part of the charity’s work; and influenced decision makers to think about domestic abuse in a far more holistic way.

Prior to joining SafeLives, Suzanne spent nearly a decade with the Home Office. She worked extensively on national security matters; established the National Crime Agency as a significant new part of UK law enforcement; and acted as private secretary to the minister responsible for crime and policing. Suzanne worked for several years on security for the London 2012 Olympics, and was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her work on intelligence collection, analysis, and enforcement activity.

She said: “Trust and confidence in policing has been badly damaged, including for communities who've often felt policing doesn't serve them. Morale among staff and officers is also under significant pressure. In discharging its remit effectively, the IOPC needs to deal fairly and promptly with the facts, and uphold high standards. I'm looking forward to contributing to that.”

As a senior partner at Cambridge Management Consulting, and from his previous director level roles focussed on strategy and transformation at BT, Clive brings a wealth of experience in organisation development and digital transformation.

He said: “I am looking forward to supporting the IOPC’s critical work such as standard setting, sharing learning, and community engagement to ensure it delivers its vision that everyone is able to have trust and confidence in the police.”

IOPC Director General Rachel Watson said: “Suzanne and Clive bring a wealth of experience to the Unitary Board, which will prove immensely valuable as we continue our work to improve the way we hold policing to account and ensure the public can have confidence in their police force.

“I look forward to working with them both over the coming months. I would also like to thank our outgoing board members for their contributions to ensure the efficient running of the IOPC throughout their terms.

“I am also pleased to confirm that Julia Mulligan has agreed to extend her term as our senior independent director and will continue her excellent work with us so far.”

Our Unitary Board is responsible for ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place for good governance and financial management of the IOPC. Its main areas of focus are to determine and oversee our strategy and provide support and advice to the Director General to carry out her responsibilities. 

The board is chaired by the Director General, and also consists of six non-executive directors, who must make up the majority of the board’s membership, as well as a number of senior members of IOPC staff.

Non-executive directors (including the senior independent director) are appointed by the Home Secretary to serve a term of three years.