SRA expands leadership team with new appointments

In a significant move towards transformation, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced the appointment of two new members to its executive leadership team. As part of an ongoing effort to become a more modern and proportionate regulator, Alan Evans joins as Executive Director for General Counsel, Risk and Compliance, while Kate O’Neill takes on the role of Executive Director for Communications and External Affairs. These appointments follow earlier leadership changes made in April 2026 and are intended to enhance the regulator's capacity and focus at senior levels, ultimately driving the necessary transformation within the organisation.

Sarah Rapson, Chief Executive of the SRA, expressed her enthusiasm for these new appointments, saying ‘I am delighted to welcome Kate and Alan to the SRA and am so pleased that we continue to attract such high calibre people to the SRA. Establishing a stronger leadership team and simplified leadership structure is crucial to achieving the scale of change needed at the SRA. That said, there is still a lot of work ahead of us to become a modern, proportionate regulator that is both trusted and effective.’

Alan Evans, who will commence his role in October, comes to the SRA from HM Revenue and Customs, where he served as General Counsel and Director General of the Legal Group. His extensive experience includes advising on legal compliance, corporate governance, and risk while leading a large multi-disciplinary team that delivers legal services to HMRC and Treasury Ministers. Previously, he has held prominent legal leadership roles across government and has a robust background in commercial litigation.

Meanwhile, Kate O’Neill, who started her role in May, brings her wealth of expertise from her previous position as Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Affairs at the Financial Reporting Council. Kate was instrumental in establishing a strategic stakeholder engagement function and has held pivotal roles in corporate strategy and investor relations across various high-profile organisations, including Lloyds Banking Group during the financial crisis.

The SRA is not stopping with these two appointments; recruitment campaigns for two additional roles—Executive Directors of Supervision and Market Risk, Data and Insight—are already underway. This continued expansion efforts reflect the SRA’s commitment to developing a simplified leadership structure to enhance its regulatory effectiveness in England and Wales, where it oversees around 90 per cent of the legal services market.