Sir Jan Du Plessis, now 72, plans to ‘retire from corporate and public life’ in September, leaving the top job at the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) after a chalenging four years, and the search for a new chair will start shortly.

Last time the role was vacant in 2021, the search for a replacement took months, with a five-month period without anyone in the role after an interim chair stepped down in mid 2021 and several chairs in three years.

This is a government appointment overseen by the Governance Code on Public Appointments and is subject to approval by the Business & Trade Committee in parliament.