News release

SRA appoints Sarah Rapson as new Chief Executive Officer

26 June 2025

We have today appointed Sarah Rapson as our new Chief Executive Officer. She will succeed Paul Philip who is retiring later this year after more than a decade in the role.

Ms Rapson is currently Executive Director of Supervision at the Financial Reporting Council and previously served on the Board of the UK Home Office, was the first Director-General of UK Visas and Immigration and Chief Executive of HM Passport Service. She will formally take up the role towards the end of 2025, guiding the organisation through the final year of its current Corporate Strategy, at a time of increasing change and complexity across the legal sector.

Anna Bradley, Chair of the SRA Board, said: 'Sarah stood out in what was a strong field as someone who had the right skills and knowledge to take the SRA to the next level. She has the broad and deep regulatory, policy and management experience to help her guide us through an increasingly challenging environment. I look forward to working with her.

'Paul Philip has led the organisation with purpose over the past 12 years. The board thanks him for his leadership in responding to a changing professional landscape. His work has strengthened public protection and reshaped our approach.

Sarah Rapson added: 'I'm honoured to be asked to lead the SRA at such a pivotal moment for the legal sector. As we enter a new chapter, we'll continue to navigate the opportunities and challenges brought by emerging technologies and evolving ways of working.

'The public rightly expects legal professionals to uphold the highest standards of integrity and competence. I look forward to working closely with the profession, colleagues across the SRA, and with other regulators to ensure those standards are met – and to intervene appropriately where they are not.'

We are committed to an agile, data-driven and risk-based system of regulation – driving high professional standards, fostering public trust in legal services and safeguarding access to justice.

Sarah Rapson Biography

Sarah has 20 years' experience in regulation and Government. Sarah is currently Executive Director Supervision at the Financial Reporting Council and she was previously Director Authorisations at the Financial Conduct Authority. Previously, she had been a Board Member at the Home Office, the first Director-General of UK Visas and Immigration, Registrar-General for England and Wales and Chief Executive of HM Passport Office.

Her early career was in retail financial services at American Express, Barclays and Woolwich. In a non-executive capacity, Sarah was Senior Independent Director of the North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust and is currently Non-Executive Director of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Sarah holds an MBA from London Business School.