John Kirkpatrick has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), effective immediately.
Prior to joining the EHRC as Deputy Chief Executive in October 2023, John was Investigations Delivery Director at the Trade Remedies Authority, responsible for investigating the need for post-Brexit import tariffs. He was previously a senior director at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), working on regulatory issues in education, transport and health, and leading the CMA’s horizon scanning and intelligence function.
Following an early career in the Department of Employment and Department for Education, he worked at the Competition Commission, the Audit Commission and at the consultant McKinsey & Company. He sits on the Quality Assurance Committee of the Office for Students.
John has served as the EHRC’s Interim Chief Executive since April 2024.
Welcoming the appointment, Equality and Human Rights Commission Chairwoman, Baroness Kishwer Falkner said:
“John’s extensive regulatory experience, coupled with his assured leadership of the EHRC in recent months, made him the standout candidate for the role.
“Together, we will deliver a new strategic plan which will position us as a more agile and effective regulator of equality and human rights for Britain.”
John Kirkpatrick, Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:
“The EHRC’s duty is to promote and uphold equality and human rights, and I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead it. I’m proud of the work we have already delivered in my time here, which has given me a comprehensive appreciation of both the breadth of our responsibilities and the significant expectations upon us.
“Already this year we have launched an investigation into the treatment of some disabled benefit claimants, helped employers understand their responsibility to protect staff experiencing the menopause, held a popular holiday park to account for their discriminatory practices and retained our accreditation as an ‘A’ status National Human Rights Institution.
“I look forward to continuing to work with all those who can help deliver progress towards a fairer Britain by using our powers and resources to make the greatest difference possible to people’s lives.”