Jörgen Holmquist, chair of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) has died aged 66.

Holmquist spent two decades working in the Swedish Ministry of Finance, including four as the senior civil servant responsible for Swedish public finances from 1993 to 1997.

Following this, Holmquist joined the European Commission where he served as director general of internal market and services from 2007 to 2010.

Holmquist was also a special advisor to Maria Damanaki the European Commissioner on maritime affairs and fisheries and since 2011 he was chairman of the administrative board of the European Fisheries Control Agency.

Holmquist had been recently re-elected for an additional three year term. "In this capacity he contributed decisively to creating a culture of compliance in the European fisheries sector," Damanaki said in a statement.

In June 2012 he was appointed chairman of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI).

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"Under his leadership, the ECGI realised some notable milestones, including the formation of the European Corporate Governance Research Foundation. All his friends and colleagues will miss his charm and his deft diplomatic guidance," the ECGI said in a statement.

Having joined the IESBA in 2011, Holmquist became its first independent chair in September 2012.

It was in this role he spoke to The Accountant in September 2013 about attempts to make the IESBA’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants more accessible for small and medium-sized practitioners and the need for trust in the profession.

He is survived by his wife and children.

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