Advisory Board
At Prospectus, we were proud to partner with Open Ownership; the global leader in beneficial ownership transparency, to appoint their new International Advisory Board, including its inaugural Chair.
As Open Ownership prepared to launch its next five-year strategy, the brief was bold and ambitious: build a high-calibre governance body to provide strategic guidance, advocacy, and global insight — transitioning from a civil society Steering Group to a formal, globally representative Advisory Board.
From day one, Open Ownership were a brilliant client; open-minded, reflective, and committed to a truly consultative process. We kept coming back to something said in our very first meeting:
“We want this Board to help us think.”
It’s a powerful reminder of what great governance should do — not just provide oversight, but stretch perspectives and spark new thinking. That principle guided the entire search.
Together, we led a global, agile recruitment process that received over 120 applications. We longlisted 40 incredible experienced individuals and supported the client to meet and interview 15. Working in close partnership with the Executive and Deputy Director, we adapted timelines, evolved the brief, and combined Open Ownership’s networks with Prospectus’s deep search, referrals, and global talent outreach.
The outcome was a truly outstanding Advisory Board:
- Advocate Xolisile Khanyile (Chair) – South African prosecutor and former Chair of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.
- Richard Daniels – Financial crime leader within global banking institutions.
- Cheri-Leigh Erasmus – Co-CEO at Accountability Lab, specialising in civic innovation and governance reform.
- Mitali Tyagi – Asia-Pacific regional advisor on illicit finance at the Financial Action Task Force.
- Anushka Wijesinha – Economist and policy advisor with experience across Sri Lanka, Africa and international development.
These individuals bring strategic challenge, global insight, and the ability to open doors through their extensive networks and are already having an impact.
“Working with Prospectus was a highly rewarding partnership. They didn’t just run a recruitment process — they partnered with us to shape it. From navigating a complex global brief to adapting as our needs evolved, their consultative, values-led approach ensured we ended up with an outstanding Advisory Board. The calibre, diversity and strategic stretch this group brings is already proving invaluable to our mission.”
— Executive Director, Open Ownership
If you’re considering how your governance structure can support your next phase of impact — whether building a new board or evolving an existing one, we’d love to help.