Ethics advisor to Kensington & Chelsea among four new independent members of standards watchdog

Reverend Ijeoma Ajibade, Dr Samuel Power, Nicola Driver and Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou will begin their five-year terms with the Commission on 1 August 2026.  

Reverend Ijeoma Ajibade is an Independent Ethics Advisor to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. She has managed complex governance, ethics, and policy portfolios across the public, voluntary, and faith-based sectors.

Dr Samuel Power is a Lecturer in Politics in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies at the University of Bristol. He specialises in political financing, electoral integrity and ethical standards, and has consulted for the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

Nicola Driver is an Independent Complaints Assessor for the Department for Transport and an Ombudsman for the New Homes Ombudsman Service. She has worked with the Ethical Standards Commissioner, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Ethics at the University of Essex, and holds several independent advisory positions across the public and international sectors, including the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and Essex County Council.

The Ethics & Integrity Commission was established by the Starmer government last year and replaced the Committee on Standards in Public Life.