FRA Wins Team of the Year in the Women in Governance, Risk and Compliance Awards 2023

The FRA team, led by founding partner Frances McLeod, has been awarded Team of the Year at the Women in Governance, Risk and Compliance Awards 2023.

This honour recognises the work of the firm’s multi-disciplined international compliance team in supporting Frances on the monitorship of automotive engineering company IAV GmbH, for which she was the US Department of Justice-appointed independent compliance monitor.  The FRA team’s work contributed to a successful resolution of the monitorship related to the high profile “Dieselgate” scandal, with Frances certifying IAV’s compliance program in June 2022.

The monitorship project team comprised of forensic accountants, data analysts, software developers and engineers,  and data governance experts, working together as a multi-national and multi-lingual team, between offices in the US, UK, France, and Switzerland. Through exceptional subject-matter expertise, technical innovation and effective communication, the group was able to independently evaluate and provide feedback to guide IAV’s creation of “effective compliance processes and systems”.

In a typically male-dominated automobile sector, FRA women at senior levels led multiple workstreams that comprised a highly complex and technical monitorship, and which in the long run will be instrumental in establishing higher standards for environmental and corporate compliance in the sector.

Key highlights include:

• Frances was one of only a handful of women – and one of the few non-lawyers – to have been appointed as a monitor by the US Department of Justice;
• 70% of the senior team – partners and directors – were made up of women. This included Emma Hodges, Jenna Voss, Doel Kar, Masako Asaka, Tegan Starr, Anushka Ram and Amina Khoungui;
• 45% of the full team comprised women;
• 59% of the project hours were completed by women.

Frances McLeod, FRA Founding Partner, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have won this award. It not only recognises the highly advanced technical capabilities, expertise, service and global market knowledge that underpin FRA’s core business values, but also how a diverse and supportive group of people can work together to deliver success. The result is a testament to FRA's investment in nurturing female talent, and it will encourage us further to cultivate a diverse senior leadership that supports women’s careers and embeds a culture of diversity, equity and inclusiveness across the entire organisation."

Ruth-Ellen, Associate Director, a member of the winning team and an attendee of the awards, said of the win: “For me personally, it was a huge inspiration to work with such excellent female leadership, in a typically male-dominated sector, and particularly working closely with Frances. This inspiration is something that I hope to pass on to the future generation as I progress through my career.”

Blair Sprott, Manager, a member of the winning team and an attendee of the awards, said of the win: "I joined the IAV monitorship upon joining FRA and it was certainly my first time working under a leadership team that was predominantly female. The leadership team was hands-on in mentoring junior team members and creating equal opportunities which is something that I will take with me and strive to do the same.”

Please take a moment to browse through a selection of photographs below taken at the event.