Update from Justin Young, RICS CEO - August 2023

First impressions can be powerful. I have worked with RICS members and staff for a number of years, but the people I have met during my first month as CEO have reminded me of the full scale of positive impact this profession makes on the world. Above all, I am struck by the passion for public purpose that members and staff bring to their work. I have had discussions in person and on calls with many of you, and some of you have also written to share thoughts on priorities for the profession globally and the unique dynamics of specific markets. From your interest, patience and openness in conversations, to your focus on deploying unrivalled skill to our most complex challenges, I am grateful to all of you for the time and insight you have given me so far. This is vital for our ongoing progress on the journey of change we are making together as RICS, and I ask that you continue to speak up and take up the many opportunities there are to make a difference.

One such area is Professional Group Panels (PGPs), and in July I was pleased to see interviews begin for the six group Chairs who will also sit on the Knowledge and Practice Committee. Appointments are expected to complete between August and September, with member positions for PGPs also advertised at that time. I encourage interested members to put themselves forward. Participating in PGPs is a great way of ensuring your specialist knowledge shapes the future of your profession. You can find the latest update with details of how to stay informed on the process here.

Similarly, I draw members’ attention to our consultation on a Residential Retrofit Standard. With an estimated 25 million homes requiring energy improvement measures in the UK alone, retrofit is a critical area of interest for our profession to ensure we play our part in delivering progress toward Net Zero, so members are encouraged to share views before the consultation closes on 12 September.

Last month, we were pleased to announce the appointment of an interim Standards and Regulation Board (SRB). Nigel Clarke brings huge experience to his role as independent Interim Chair, and will be supported by two Independent members, and two drawn from the RICS membership. As the board with exclusive responsibility for exercising RICS’ regulatory functions, the SRB is essential to protecting the public and fostering public confidence, and it is rightly among the many topics members have asked about in recent weeks. RICS passionately believes in robust self-regulation in the public interest, and strengthening our independent regulatory structure remains at the heart of our transformation programme. You can read full details of the new Board, the Appointments Panel and process here.

And finally, members can now review the recently launched Women in Surveying insight report. While there has been an improvement in the representation of women in our sector, there is still a long way to go to ensure this profession is a place where everyone can thrive, and the report highlights some of the barriers that we have yet to overcome. Data and insight are a critical part of driving change, and I invite women surveyors from all regions to share their experiences via our annual Women in the Profession survey, open until 30 September 2023.