Approach to government roles and assignments
PwC has put in place a set of principles that our Network expects to be followed by all firms when hiring a former government official or when someone from PwC takes a senior post in government, due to the potential for conflicts of interest to arise. When we refer to government in this instance, it covers not only organisations regarded as strictly governmental, but also organisations that regulate or have public oversight of the professional services that we provide.
Having a set of principles for use across the PwC network helps us take a consistent approach and is intended to minimise potential conflicts and avoid the perception that confidences gained from one role could be used in another or for the advantage of a PwC firm.
Principles
- When Government Officials join PwC, we uphold any professional restrictions the government or the law imposes on them. Where there are no rules, we put appropriate restrictions in place.
- When Government Officials join PwC they do not represent us in front of those government bodies they previously represented for a period of at least one year or for a longer period if prescribed by the government.
- When a senior PwC person joins a body that has regulatory oversight of PwC and our practitioners, we advise the body of any ongoing financial interest they have in PwC (e.g., pension arrangements), and ask that the individuals are not involved in making decisions about PwC for at least one year and until that financial interest concludes.
- We take steps to request retired partners advise us prior to accepting appointments with any government body or regulatory agency so we can uphold the practice outlined in point three (3) above.
There will be differences in how these principles apply to local circumstances for our member firms as local laws or regulations could override the principles or provide additional requirements with which a PwC firm must comply. However, we expect member firms to have a common minimum approach in line with these principles.
Contact us
Nicola Shield
Global Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, PwC United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)7931 388648
