Shaping RICS’ future: understanding the upcoming SVP election process

The role of the RICS Senior Vice President is an opportunity to step forward and play a defining part in shaping the future trajectory of the Institution. Ahead of the upcoming launch of applications for RICS’ next Senior Vice President, I wanted to take this opportunity to outline our selection process, the changes we are introducing to enhance transparency and the future direction of elections for this important position.

Senior Vice President is a critical role, serving a 12-month term before progressing to President Elect and then President – at which point they also take on the role of chairing Governing Council, RICS’ highest governing body.

As RICS continues its transformation, we are looking for a passionate, ambitious, and challenging Senior Vice President who understands our profession and the markets we serve. A key goal for RICS is to ensure the future leadership of the profession is appointed through a transparent and rigorous process. This includes having a robust multi-stage approach for the selection of the significant role of the Senior Vice President which has a defined selection criteria and independent oversight.  From the initial engagement of a diverse appointment panel and external search consultants to thorough due diligence on both candidates and their supporters, each step ensures a fair and rigorous evaluation.

The role of Senior Vice President is vital in helping shape RICS’ strategic direction, in upholding professional standards, and fostering global engagement across the profession. Recognising the significance of this appointment, the search for RICS’ next Senior Vice President is being supported by leading executive search consultants, underscoring our commitment to an independent and thorough process. This is overseen by a diverse Appointment Panel which brings together a wealth of experience and perspectives, and includes me, as the Chair of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee (NRC), along with:

• Tina Paillet FRICS (immediate past President)
• Neil A’Bear FRICS (Chair, RICS Matrics UK & Ireland)
• Ahmed Anwar MRICS (Chair, RICS Egypt Regional Board)
• Liz Peace CBE (Senior Independent Governor, RICS Governing Council)

To further strengthen the integrity and transparency of the Senior Vice President election process, several key enhancements have been agreed upon this year. This includes the introduction of informal meetings with the CEO for short listed candidates, offering candidates a valuable opportunity for direct dialogue and insight.

To provide assurance to both the Governing Council and the wider membership, formal updates on the progress of the search will be provided to Governing Council at each significant milestone, while maintaining the necessary anonymity of the candidates. In addition, we will be significantly increasing our communication efforts by publishing more comprehensive information, including answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the process on the RICS website, as well as providing feedback to the membership once the search has concluded.

We acknowledge the concerns raised by members about their current level of involvement in this process. However, any changes to a long-standing process require a measured approach involving careful planning, thorough impact assessments, and comprehensive insight gathering. This is why the process for future Senior Vice President election will be considered as part of the 2025 independent review. Until the outcome of this review is known, the election of the RICS Senior Vice President will remain with the Governing Council, with the possibility of change thereafter.

Our commitment remains firm to a transparent and rigorous process that ultimately serves the best interests of our membership. As we prepare to launch applications for this pivotal role, I encourage all eligible members who are passionate about the future of RICS and possess the leadership qualities we seek to consider this exceptional opportunity.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the Governance Team on governanceappointments@rics.org.