The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has appointed Parjinder Basra as the new chair of its regulatory board.  

Basra , who assumed the role on 12 May 2025, will serve a three-year term as the lay chair of the ICAEW Regulatory Board (IRB).  

Appointed as chair of the IRB, Basra previously served as acting chair twice, most recently following Paul Brooks’ resignation for personal reasons in February. 

Basra has a background in public sector leadership within policing and healthcare.  

ICAEW board chair Peter Wyman said: “Chartered accountants play a crucial role in strengthening trust and acting in the public interest, and I am confident that the IRB will continue to meet its responsibilities as an effective improvement regulator under Parjinder’s leadership.  

“I would also like to extend my thanks to Paul Brooks for his service as IRB Chair and acknowledge his great contribution to ICAEW over the past 20 years, from his early involvement as a member of the Investment Business Committee through to his leadership of the IRB since last summer.” 

Basra added: “Acting in the public interest is vital to upholding the reputation of ICAEW Chartered Accountants, and the IRB has a central role to play in ensuring high standards of regulation and conduct. In a time of immense societal, economic, and technological change, my priority is to ensure we are adapting swiftly, as an improvement regulator, to address any emerging risks.  

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Paul Brooks for his outstanding leadership of the Board. I look forward to working alongside my fellow Board members to finalise and deliver our new regulation and conduct strategy, ensuring we continue to safeguard the public interest.” 

The IRB is tasked with overseeing ICAEW’s regulatory and disciplinary work, ensuring it acts in the public interest and strengthens trust in the profession.  

Established in 2014, the board has an equal number of lay and chartered accountant members, enhancing the distinction between ICAEW’s representative and regulatory roles. 

Recently, ICAEW advocated for the voluntary adoption of electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) in the UK, with mandatory implementation postponed until at least 1 January 2030.  

This recommendation was made in response to the government’s consultation on increasing e-invoicing adoption among UK businesses and the public sector. 

ICAEW “strongly” supports e-invoicing, citing international evidence of improved productivity, reduced costs, faster payment times, better cash flow, and increased tax compliance and revenues.  

The organisation believes that the UK’s current lack of a co-ordinated e-invoicing policy could disadvantage businesses and deter capital investment.