Recommendation 2

During the pre-appointment hearing, we discussed with Mrs Smart the potential conflicts of interest arising from her spouse’s role as Chief Executive of British Airways Pensions. She told us that he was making plans to leave that role and would do so by September 2021 at the latest. We support her decision that it would not be sustainable for him to remain in his current job if she were appointed as Chair. On that basis, we are satisfied that Sarah Smart has the personal independence and professional competence to be Chair of The Pensions Regulator. We wish her every success in her new role, and we look forward to working with her.

Paragraph Reference: 17