Sean Barnard

Sean is and Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a commercial legal specialist with more than 15 years’ experience across governance, regulatory compliance, corporate legal affairs, risk management and institutional development. His expertise spans rating-agency regulation, board and governance frameworks, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, internal controls, commercial contracting, policy development and stakeholder engagement.

He serves as Deputy Secretary of the African Credit Rating Association (ACRA), contributing to governance documentation, institutional processes, stakeholder coordination and strategic development, and is co-founder of South Africa’s first local sovereign credit rating agency. His broader experience includes regulatory alignment in African financial markets, executive legal advisory, policy development and the establishment of robust governance and compliance frameworks. He holds an LLB from the University of Pretoria and has successfully completed the RE1 and RE5 regulatory examinations prescribed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).