IPReg welcomes new Chair
The Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg) recently welcomed Bill Matthews as its new Chair, following an open recruitment process.
Bill Matthews was appointed as the new Chair of IPReg at the start of this month. He succeeds the Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury, Chris Smith, who has led IPReg since 2018.
Bill Matthews brings over 20 years of experience in governance and non-executive roles across a range of sectors, including media, government, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and regulation.
His previous roles include two terms on the BBC Trust, where he also chaired the BBC Pension Scheme for seven years, and Chair of NHS National Services Scotland.
Welcoming his appointment, Fran Gillon, CEO of IPReg said: “I am delighted that Bill is to be our new Chair. His experience in regulation and more widely will be invaluable to IPReg and those we regulate; I am very much looking forward to working with him.
“I would like to thank Chris Smith who has been Chair since September 2018 for his outstanding leadership of IPReg and for the support he has given me.”
Commenting on his new role, Bill Matthews said: “I am excited to be joining IPReg and look forward to continuing the excellent progress made by Chris Smith and the team over the last seven years.
“The regulated professions are vital to the successful development and protection of intellectual property in the UK and I look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders in this important work.”
It was also recently announced that IPReg’s CEO, Fran Gillon, will be retiring at the end of March 2026 after more than eight years in the role.
Bill Matthews added: “Whilst I had hoped to work with Fran for much longer, I greatly appreciate the early confirmation of her retirement plans and look forward to her guidance and support over the next six months. She will be a hard act to follow.”
A recruitment process for Fran’s successor will begin shortly.