Chris Alder

As Executive-Director, Chris is responsible for ensuring that the public and stakeholders can have trust and confidence in the profession through RICS thought leadership and self-regulation. Reporting to the Standards and Regulation Board, this includes responsibility for the application of rigorous entry requirements, relevant professional standards, effective assurance, regulation operations and Dispute Resolution Services. He is responsible for ensuring that RICS works in the public interest; that its standards remain relevant for the future; and that RICS and its members play a positive role in meeting the challenges facing the natural and built environments. Currently, Chris is also responsible for leading RICS’ corporate legal service and data privacy teams.

Prior to joining RICS as Global Regulatory Counsel in 2016, and formerly as Director of Regulation, Chris was Head of Professionals Regulation at the General Pharmaceutical Council (the UK statutory regulator of pharmacy and pharmacists). Before appointment at the GPhC, he was a partner with one of the UK’s Top 50 law firms, being recognised as a leading regulatory lawyer in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. His practice as a solicitor-advocate included acting for regulators and international professional bodies, advising clients on all aspects of regulatory law, leading complex high profile investigations and prosecuting cases before a range of tribunals and Courts. He has acted as a member of expert advisory groups for UK government departments, including DIT, the Commonwealth Secretariat in relation to Anti-Bribery and Corruption mechanisms and accredited as a mediator by the International Mediation Institute.