BDO appoints Syreeta Brown as independent NE

BDO has appointed independent non-executive Syreeta Brown to strengthen its governance framework. 

Brown joins the firm with more than 25 years of experience operating at senior executive and managing director level across FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and Fortune 500 organisations.

She brings expertise in people, talent and culture, alongside experience advising boards and senior leadership on governance and technology-enabled transformation.

Most recently, Brown was group chief people and communications officer at Virgin Money UK – now part of the Nationwide Group – where she led talent and culture transformation. Her career also includes senior leadership roles at Citi and BT Group.

Brown is also an advocate for diversity and inclusion, with expertise in neurodiversity and supporting families of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

BDO has four independent non-executives, exceeding the minimum requirement under the Audit Firm Governance Code. 

Eammon McGrath, Jane Guyett, David Matthews and Brown bring a mix of skills and perspectives across audit, risk, financial services, and people and culture. Brown replaces Ola Fadipe, who steps down from the role following a change in executive position.

Working closely with senior partner Matthew White, Brown will be a member of the firm’s public interest committee and oversight board, as well as holding roles on other governance bodies.

White said: “Independent non-executives play a vital role at BDO, providing objective oversight and constructive challenge as we continue to grow and respond to a rapidly evolving market. Syreeta brings exceptional depth of expertise in people strategy, alongside a strong governance mindset.

“Her experience and insight will add a further dimension to our oversight and governance discussions, helping to ensure our leadership and decision-making continue to support high performance and responsible growth while serving the public interest and putting people and culture at its heart.”

Brown added: “BDO operates in an environment where growth, quality and trust go hand in hand. The constant evolution of the market and the extraordinary pace at which talent must adapt makes this an incredibly interesting role for me. I’ve long believed that good governance depends not only on financial and technical oversight, but on how organisations think about their people, culture and purpose. 

“I look forward to working with the senior partner, other INEs and the firm’s governance bodies to provide constructive challenge, independent perspective and thoughtful oversight in support of BDO’s growth strategy.”