London, UK | Leading global assurance partner, LRQA, has today announced the appointment of Ian Spaulding as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective from 1 September 2023.
London, UK | Leading global assurance partner, LRQA, has today announced the appointment of Ian Spaulding as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective from 1 September 2023. Current CEO, Paul Butcher, has decided to step down and will support the organization in an advisory capacity to the board.
Following the change in leadership, growth remains high on the agenda for LRQA in order to become the leading global assurance partner in the market.
LRQA’s Chairman, Martin Blackburn, said:
“As an experienced and successful CEO for more than ten years with ELEVATE, and a member of LRQA’s executive committee since ELEVATE was acquired by LRQA, Ian has a deep understanding of our business, clients and market. He is ideally placed to lead the continued execution of our strategy to become the leading global assurance partner in the market and to build on the growth that Paul has unlocked over the past five years. I am deeply grateful to Paul for his vision, leadership and energy during a time of rapid and ambitious transformation. I wish him the very best with his future plans.”
As an experienced and successful CEO for more than 10 years with ELEVATE, and a member of LRQA’s executive committee, Ian has a deep understanding of our business.
Paul Butcher said:
“It’s been a privilege to spend five years leading this fantastic business and providing market-leading assurance services to our clients. This year we have completed separation from our former parent company and are on track to achieve our best-ever sales and revenue results. The business is in a strong place and Ian is the ideal natural successor as CEO, so this is the right moment to hand over leadership. I want to thank all the amazing people in LRQA for their commitment to our clients and our strategy, and for everything we have achieved together so far.”
Accelerating growth is one of LRQA’s biggest priorities in order to remain partner of choice for both existing and new clients. Under Ian’s new leadership, mergers and acquisitions will remain a key focus, having already made series of acquisitions including ESG assurance specialists, ELEVATE, headquartered in Hong Kong, Sustainable Assurance Solutions (SAS) based in Australia, as well as cybersecurity specialists, ATvanGarde based in Singapore. Each of these businesses bring new capabilities and combined with LRQA’s existing services, mean the company offers an enhanced and compelling proposition to clients.
It’s been a privilege to spend five years leading this fantastic business and providing market-leading assurance services to our clients.
Ian Spaulding said:
“As LRQA’s incoming CEO, I want to fundamentally help companies run better businesses. Assurance can help our clients connect the dots between their operations, meet international standards, give confidence to external stakeholders, and help anticipate business risks that haven’t even emerged yet. This is a new era of risk, one that is continuously evolving and expanding, and it’s time to future-proof your business. It will be an honour to help clients on that journey as CEO of LRQA, continuing the extraordinary work delivered by Paul to re-define the assurance market.”
As LRQA’s incoming CEO, I want to fundamentally help companies run better businesses.
About Ian Spaulding
Ian Spaulding has spent more than 25 years in Asia, Europe and the United States, building, leading and growing assurance and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) businesses. 
He is globally recognized as a thought leader and authority on supply chain due diligence and ESG performance.
In his early career, Ian worked at Sears Holdings, KPMG and BSR. In 2013, Ian founded ELEVATE and, over the next decade, established the business as an industry leader in sustainability and supply chain assurance services. Under Ian’s direction, ELEVATE partnered with 350 global companies to design, build and manage data-driven sustainability programs including Assessment, Advisory, Program Management and Analytics.
In April 2022, ELEVATE was acquired by LRQA to create a uniquely powerful offer for clients as they navigate an ever-changing risk landscape. Ian took up the role of Chief Growth Officer and then led the Assessments business unit.
About LRQA
LRQA is a leading global assurance partner, bringing together decades of unrivalled expertise in assessment, advisory, inspection and cybersecurity services – underpinned by data-driven insights – to help its clients navigate a new era of risk.
Operating in more than 160 countries with a team of more than 6,000 people, LRQA’s award-winning compliance, supply chain, cybersecurity and ESG specialists help more than 61,000 clients across almost every sector to anticipate, mitigate and manage risk wherever they operate.
Formerly part of Lloyd’s Register, LRQA became an independent business in November 2021, and since then has been wholly owned by an investment fund managed through Goldman Sachs Asset Management, who deliver investment and advisory services for the world’s leading institutions, to help build and accelerate value creation across its portfolios.
