Tuesday 4 December 2007
Des Hudson, Law Society Chief Executive, today announced two key appointments to his senior management team with Mark Stobbs taking up the role of Director of Legal Policy and Rona Chester stepping in as Finance Director .
The appointments continue the fundamental restructuring of the Law Society to make it more effective for its members. The Law Society represents the needs of 130,000 solicitors at home and abroad.
Mark Stobbs, is currently Bar Standards Board Director and Rona Chester joins the Society from the post of Finance Director at Ofcom. They will both take up their new roles on 3 March 2008.
Mark Stobbs was the BSB’s first Director, and was instrumental in the establishment of the new body, formed in 2006 to separate the Bar Council’s regulatory functions from its representative role. He is a former Deputy Chief Executive of the Bar Council, the professional body for barristers in England and Wales, which he joined in 1993, from what was then the Lord Chancellor’s department.
Rona was successful in co-ordinating significant change and developing new strategies to ensure better decision making at Ofcom and Sotheby’s. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience of working in private and public sectors as well as international markets.
Des Hudson, Law Society Chief Executive, says: “Both Rona and Mark have outstanding track records in their fields and they join a talented team of individuals at the Law Society. Their expertise and drive will go a long way to making the further important changes the Society needs to ensure our resources are used to the maximum to support solicitors. Mark’s expertise and drive will ensure that the Society retains and extends its position as a key voice on law reform and the leading source of information and advice for solicitors.”
Rona Chester, said: “I am looking forward to joining the Law Society at such an exciting time and I hope to build upon the work that Des and his team already provide to ensure the efficient and effective representation of solicitors.
Mark Stobbs said: “I have had fourteen very happy and satisfying years at the Bar Council and am particularly proud to have been involved in the establishment of the BSB. The post at the Law Society is an enormously exciting and challenging one and I very much look forward to taking it on.’
BSB Chair Ruth Evans said: “‘Mark worked extremely hard to get the Bar Standards Board up and running well ahead of schedule. His focus on the public interest in establishing the new body has been admirable, and he has set us on a strong course for the future. All those concerned with the regulation of the profession owe him a debt of gratitude. He leaves with our good wishes.’
Bar Council Chief Executive David Hobart said: “We will miss Mark. His good sense, humour and grasp of professional regulation and conduct were an immense asset to the Bar as a whole, and will be hard to replace. I would like to thank him on behalf of the profession for everything that he has done over the years to further the interests of the Bar, and wish him well for the future.’
