Leadership
and governance

Setting the tone for ethical and responsible decision-making throughout the business

Leadership and governance

Confident leadership and robust governance is the foundation of our firm: determining our purpose and strategy; setting the tone for ethical and responsible decision-making throughout the business; and ensuring transparency and accountability to external stakeholders and to our people.

Our leadership is focused on the business environment, the firm’s transformation agenda and delivering a differentiated client experience, alongside continued investment in quality and our people.


About the Senior Partner and Chief Executive role

Richard Houston, the Senior Partner and Chief Executive, has full executive authority for the management of Deloitte in the UK. Richard was elected to serve as Senior Partner and Chief Executive of both Deloitte North and South Europe (NSE) and Deloitte UK from 1st June 2019. He is a member of the Deloitte Global Executive and is responsible for connecting the breadth and depth of capabilities of over 55,000 people and 3,000 partners in NSE to deliver value for our clients and make a difference in our communities.


The UK Executive

Deloitte UK's activities are managed by the Senior Partner and the UK Executive who are appointed by the Senior Partner and work closely as a team to lead the firm.

Richard Houston

Senior Partner and Chief Executive

Dan Barlow

Managing Partner, Regional Markets

Richard Bell

Managing Partner, Financial Advisory

Pauline Biddle

Managing Partner, Clients and Industries

Emma Cox

Managing Partner, Deloitte Private

Dominic Graham

Managing Partner, Consumer Markets

Stephen Griggs

UK Managing Partner

Richard Hammell

Managing Partner, Financial Services

Jackie Henry

Managing Partner, People and Purpose

Simon Kerton-Johnson

Managing Partner, Transformation

Anne-Marie Malley

Managing Partner, Consulting

Andy Morris

Managing Partner, Risk Advisory

Mark Mullins

Managing Partner, Quality, Risk and Security

Paul Stephenson

Managing Partner, Audit and Assurance

Lisa Stott

Managing Partner, Tax and Legal

Donna Ward

Chief Financial Officer

UK Oversight Board (UKOB)

The UKOB provides oversight of how Deloitte UK meets its UK regulatory and legal responsibilities, including the requirements of the Audit Firm Governance Code. In particular, the UKOB’s focus is on promoting audit quality, assisting the firm to secure its reputation more broadly, and reducing the risk of firm failure.

The UKOB operates in conjunction with the NSE Audit & Risk Committee to provide oversight of how the material risks facing the UK business are managed and controlled and how Deloitte meets its public interest responsibilities in the UK. The UKOB is also responsible for overseeing relevant regulatory and financial reporting matters.

Full details can be found in our Transparency Report.


The Audit Governance Board (AGB)

The AGB was established on 1 January 2021, comprising a majority of independent non-executives, including the Chair. It is responsible for providing independent oversight of Deloitte’s UK audit business, with a focus on the policies and procedures for improving audit quality. This includes ensuring people in the audit business are focused above all on the delivery of high-quality audits in the public interest; and oversight of the policies and processes for ensuring audit partners’ remuneration reflects their contribution to audit quality.

The AGB and UKOB work alongside each other to ensure Deloitte UK meets the requirements of the Audit Firm Governance Code and other regulatory and legal requirements.

The creation of the AGB was part of the initial phase of Deloitte’s implementation of the principles for operational separation set out by the FRC in July 2020.

Margaret, Baroness Ford of Cunninghame, OBE

AGB Chair, Independent Non-Executive.

  • Deloitte’s audit governance board – known as the AGB – provides oversight of the firm’s ring-fenced audit business. This is referred to as “operational separation” and was set out in a series of principles by the UK regulator – the Financial Reporting Council – in 2020.

  • The AGB brings together independent non-executives from a range of backgrounds and experience. We bring real scrutiny, challenge and rigour to Deloitte’s audit business – particularly around: audit quality, resilience and reputation.
  • We ensure that auditors focus first and foremost on the delivery of high-quality audits. As independent non-executives we act as stewards of the public interest and the Financial Reporting Council looks to us to carry that oversight.
  • Each non-executive focuses on different areas of interest and accountability. Examples include having an oversight of partner pay and promotions, or ensuring the firm learns from past issues. You can see more detail in the firm’s annual Transparency Report.
  • Deloitte decided to move forward with the majority of operational separation from 1 June 2021, well in advance of the Financial Reporting Council’s deadline in 2024. While it’s still early days, I’ve been impressed to see how seriously the firm is taking the governance around its audit business so far.
  • But we are at a crossroads for audit and corporate governance debate in the UK. While operational separation and governance changes are important, they are only one piece of the jigsaw.

  • High profile corporate failures in recent years show change is needed right across the system. It’s therefore critical that different participants – whether that be audit firms, company directors, shareholders and the regulator – come together and play their part. True reform cannot be done in isolation.

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