News story

Directors appointed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct

Home Secretary makes appointments to the Board of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Five new independent directors have been announced as they join the Board in non-executive roles at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The 5 appointees are as follows:

Bill Matthews

Bill began his career as an engineer before progressing into business and operations management roles with Motorola. He then spent 5 years running technology start-ups before building a portfolio of non-executive roles spanning media, health and criminal justice.

Previously a member of the BBC Trust and Chair of the BBC Pension Scheme, Bill now chairs the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, is a non-executive director at the Scottish Futures Trust and the Scottish Member of the British Transport Police Authority.

He was a founding non-executive member of the IOPC’s Board on its formation in January 2018 and has been re-appointed to the role after being successful in an open and fair competition.

Deborah Bowman

Deborah is Emeritus Professor of Bioethics, Clinical Ethics and Medical Law at St George’s University of London, where she also held the role of Deputy Principal until November 2020, with particular responsibility for:

  • organisational culture
  • public engagement
  • quality and partnerships
  • equality, diversity and inclusion

She holds several non-executive, trustee and advisory roles, including serving on the Boards of the Human Tissue Authority, South West London and St George’s NHS Mental Health Trust, Princess Alice Hospice and the General Osteopathic Council.

She sits as a panel chair for the United Kingdom Council on Psychotherapy and chairs clinical ethics committees, both regional and national.

Rommel Moseley

Rommel’s professional experience is in business development, service design and change management. He is an acknowledged expert in the field of corporate, government and charity partnerships – having spent 20 years negotiating and delivering complex, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Rommel is currently a director of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which works to advance media freedom, inclusive economies and human rights around the world.

He is a former director at Drinkaware where he developed partnerships across government, including with the Home Office, local authorities and Police and Crime Commissioners, to reduce harm to young people in the night-time economy.

Rommel previously served as the vice chair of the London Night-time Commission and Chair of the Research and Data Group which provided all insights and data to allow the commission to make evidence-based recommendations.

Catherine Jervis

Catherine has held a range of board level positions including current roles as non-executive director at First Community Health and Care (CiC) and non-executive director and SID with Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust.

She recently joined Achieving for Children, a community interest company, as an independent non-executive director.

Prior to this, Catherine was an executive director and strategic advisor to the CEO of a national education charity (AFA). At PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, she led the Children’s Services Team working across education, health and social care.

Catherine is a qualified accountant. Like Bill, Catherine was also a founding non-executive member of the IOPC’s board on its formation in January 2018 and has been reappointed to the role after being successful in an open and fair competition.

Christine Elliott

Christine, whose term as Acting Chair of the College of Policing ended in December 2020, was the College’s first independent director appointed in 2015. She is a proven senior leader with substantial chairing and non-executive experience. Christine is also Chair of the Health and Care Professions Council, which regulates 15 professions. She is also an independent lay member of the Editors’ Code Committee, which reviews and revises the Code used by all UK press regulators.

Her career encompasses public, private and non-profit sectors. Christine is on the advisory board of Trybe.ID, a digital identity and credentialing platform headquartered in Toronto, Canada. She also chairs the advisory board of Albeego Ltd, a British mobile telecoms firm providing digital devices with stable, secure internet connectivity.

About the announcement

The announcement follows a stringent recruitment process, which followed the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice.

Successful individuals were then appointed by the Home Secretary.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

I welcome these appointments – each of the appointees bring a wealth of different experiences drawn from the private and public sectors.

The work that the Independent Office for Police Conduct carries out is critical to maintaining public confidence in our police complaints system. These appointees will play a vital role in ensuring the efficient and effective running of the organisation.

Geoffrey Podger will remain in post as the Senior Independent Director. Further announcements on the remaining non-executive roles on the Board will be made in due course.

This news story was updated on 15 February 2021 to include details about Christine Elliot, new independent director appointed to the IOPC.

Published 8 February 2021
Last updated 15 February 2021 + show all updates
  1. Updated to include details about Christine Elliot, new independent director appointed to the IOPC.

  2. First published.