Chairman of the Inquiry
Sir Martin Moore-Bick was called to the Bar in 1969 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1986. He was appointed to the High Court in 1995 and to the Court of Appeal in 2005. During his twenty years as a judge he heard a wide variety of commercial, civil and criminal cases. He retired as a Lord Justice of Appeal in December 2016. He is supported by Counsel to the Inquiry and a team of civil servants, seconded to the Inquiry from a range of Government Departments.
Panel
Thouria Istephan has been appointed by the Prime Minister to serve as a member of the panel. She is an architect and a registered Health and Safety Practitioner. For the last 23 years she has worked for the internationally respected Architects Foster + Partners as a Partner and Deputy of Technical Design. She also served as a Construction Specialist Inspector at the HSE and was instrumental in the implementation of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM). Her experience and knowledge include fire safety, buildability, accessibility and inclusive design.
Ali Akbor OBE has been appointed by the Prime Minister to serve as a panel member. For over 20 years he has been the CEO of Unity Homes and Enterprise, a leading housing association supporting the BAME communities. He has extensive experience of the housing sector, having served at board level and in non-excutive roles in a number of organisations, as well as a background in local government. In December 2019, he was awarded an OBE for services to the community in Leeds.
Director General and Secretary to the Inquiry
Mark Fisher started work as Director General and Secretary to the Inquiry on 26 June 2017. He was previously Director of the Office for Civil Society and Innovation in the Cabinet Office. Mark has been in the public service for 34 years, mainly in the Department for Work and Pensions.