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Guardians of Financial Wellbeing: New advisory group to Money and Pensions Service Board

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A new group of top-level executives from the worlds of finance, consumer rights, research and technology is being convened to ensure the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) delivers on its mission of everyone making the most of their money and pensions, and so that the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing is as successful as possible in hitting its ambitious ten year goals.

Unveiled by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) in January, the UK Strategy sets out five “agendas for change” to help transform financial wellbeing across all the nations of the UK, covering credit, debt, savings, pensions and financial education. MaPS is currently developing its own three-year Corporate Strategy.

The work towards these goals is on-going, with additional time being invested in how the immediate and longer-term impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak will also need to be addressed.

The names being announced will form an Advisory Group to the MaPS Board with the purpose of providing long-term support and challenge around both the future MaPS Corporate Strategy and the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing.

Group members, meeting for the first time today, are at the forefront of their respective sectors and already committed to the financial wellbeing agenda. The members of the group are:

Sir Hector Sants, Chairman of MaPS, said:

“The current crisis has highlighted the precarious nature of many people’s financial resilience and through that financial wellbeing. There is virtually no-one in the country who hasn’t felt some economic impact as a result of the outbreak. Improving financial wellbeing – to help people feel more empowered and in control – would make a big difference.

“We have already been joined by many excellent collaborators from a wide range of sectors and I’m delighted at the list of leaders in their fields who have now agreed to join the new Advisory Group. The Board of MaPS looks forward to working with them to ensure the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing delivers on its great potential in the years ahead.”

-ENDS-   

For media enquiries contact:  

MaPS Press Office 020 8132 5284 / media@maps.org.uk     
Sarah Cordey, Senior Communications Manager 020 8132 5251 / sarah.cordey@maps.org.uk

Mia Cochrane, Senior Press Officer 020 8132 4937 / mia.cochrane@maps.org.uk    

Notes to Editors

Advisory Group biographies

John Allan CBE

Chairman – Tesco plc, Barratt Developments plc and President of the CBI

As well as being President of the CBI, John is the Chairman of Tesco plc, Barratt Developments plc, Chair of Council at Imperial College and Co-Founder of J&A Mentoring Partners Ltd. Previously, amongst other senior roles, he was Chairman of London First, Worldpay, Care UK Health & Social Care, Dixons Retail and later Co-Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director of Dixons Carphone. John was Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Post DHL; and Chief Executive of Exel, the global supply chain company. He has been a non-executive director at Royal Mail, PHS Group, the Home Office Supervisory Board, National Grid, Wolseley, Hamleys, 3i and Connell. 

Katie Alpin

Interim Chief Executive – Money and Mental Health Policy Institute

Katie Alpin is Interim Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, an independent charity dedicated to breaking the links between financial difficulty and mental health problems using research and policy. Before stepping up as Interim CEO, Katie led Money and Mental Health’s research and policy work, driving improvements across essential services, mental health policy and beyond. Katie has also worked as an economist.

Richard Collier-Keywood

Chair – Fair4All Finance, the School for Social Entrepreneurs

Richard is Chair of a variety of organisations: Fair4All Finance (the UK financial inclusion body), the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Humentum (an NGO based in Washington DC) and New Forest Care (providing care and education to children with complex needs). He is a Partner in strategy consultancy YGroup and also on the Board of CoGo in New Zealand, the Marshall Institute at the LSE and St George’s House in Windsor. Previously Richard was Global Vice-Chairman of PwC from November 2011 to February 2017 having served as Managing Partner since 2008. Richard is a barrister and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. 

Helen Dean

CEO – NEST Corporation

Helen has a long-standing interest in addressing financial inequalities and promoting financial resilience. Working in DWP she was one of the architects of the UK’s automatic enrolment programme and a leading figure in establishing the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). Since 2015 Helen has been the CEO of NEST, with more than 9 million members, now the largest pension scheme in the UK. Helen is also a Trustee and Non-Executive board member of debt charity StepChange, a Governor of the Pensions Policy Institute UK, and is a member of the Council of Scholar Advisors at the Centre for Recruitment Initiatives, Georgetown University in Washington.

Debbie Forster MBE

CEO – Tech Talent Charter

Debbie Forster is an award-winning figure in the areas of diversity, tech, innovation and education. She is CEO for the Tech Talent Charter – a non-profit organisation leading a movement to address inequality in the tech sector – and serves as Trustee for the British Council. She is also on the government’s Digital Economy Council, the Institute of Coding’s Diversity Board and the steering group of #TechSheCan. Debbie was awarded an MBE in January 2017 for “Services to Digital Technology and Tech Development” and named as the Most Influential Woman in UK IT for 2019 by Computer Weekly. 

Professor David Halpern

Chief Executive – The Behavioural Insights Team

David Halpern is the Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team and has led the team since its inception in 2010. Prior to that, David was the first Research Director of the Institute for Government and between 2001 and 2007 was the Chief Analyst at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. David was also appointed as the What Works National Advisor in July 2013. He supports the What Works Network and leads efforts to improve the use of evidence across government. Before entering government, David held tenure at Cambridge and posts at Oxford and Harvard.

Matt Hammerstein

CEO – Barclays Bank UK                                             

Matt Hammerstein has been CEO for Barclays Bank UK since April 2019, covering Retail Banking, Business Banking, Barclaycard, Savings, Investments and Wealth Management.  Prior to becoming CEO, Matt was Head of Retail Lending covering both the secured and unsecured lending businesses. Matt joined Barclays in 2004 as Director of Group Strategy, later progressing to become the Group Chief of Staff. Before Barclays, he was a Senior Management Consultant at Marakon Associates where he worked for 12 years in the financial services, consumer products and energy sectors within the Americas and Europe.

Anabel Hoult

CEO – Which?

Anabel Hoult joined Which? as Chief Executive in October 2018, with experience from a range of sectors including retail, charity, consumer services and fintech. Prior to working at Which?, Anabel spent more than 12 years working within the commercial sector, most notably as managing director of services at Carphone Warehouse. She was also chief operating officer of Save the Children from December 2010 to July 2015, where she delivered improved strategic focus, operational performance and financial growth. She is a Non-Executive Director for property business Hoults Yard and for children’s charity OnSide Youth Zones.   

Vim Maru

Group Director – Retail, Lloyds Banking Group

Vim has extensive experience in Retail banking having worked in financial services for nearly 20 years. He has been Group Director – Retail, Lloyds Banking Group since September 2017. He joined Lloyds Banking Group in June 2011 as Managing Director, Customer Products and was appointed to the Group Executive Committee in August 2013. He is also a UK Finance Board member, leading on Retail Banking. Previously Vim worked for over 12 years at Santander.

Helen Milner, OBE

Group Chief Executive – Good Things Foundation

Helen has over 30 years’ experience of working in and leading organisations creating and delivering education over and about the internet. She is the Group Chief Executive for Good Things Group in the UK and Australia. Helen was awarded an OBE for services to digital inclusion in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. In 2017 she won the title of Digital Leader of the Year (UK) and was named by Computer Weekly as the 13th most influential person in UK IT in 2019. Working with British Parliament, Helen was a member of the Speaker’s Commission for Digital Democracy and an Advisor on Digital Engagement to the Public Accounts Committee. She is a Board Member of FutureDotNow.

Mike Regnier

CEO – Yorkshire Building Society            

Mike has a strong background in strategy and general management, mainly within the Financial Services sector. After management positions at Asda, he joined the banking sector and held a number of senior positions at Lloyds Banking Group, including Personal Current Accounts and Credit Cards Director. He has served as a Board Director of Visa UK, and Chairman of the merchant acquirer LTSB Cardnet. Most recently, he was the Products and Marketing Director for TSB. He joined Yorkshire Building Society in 2014 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2017. He is currently also Chair of the Building Societies Association.

Lindsey Rix 

CEO – UK Savings and Retirement – AVIVA

Lindsey was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Aviva’s UK Savings and Retirement business in November 2019, which includes responsibility for driving profitable growth and holistic customer solutions across Workplace Pensions, Retail Savings, Retirement Solutions and Financial Advice. Lindsey is also a Director of Aviva Life Holdings UK Limited and Wealthify Group Limited, and a Member of the Association of British Insurers’ Long-Term Savings Committee. Lindsey joined Aviva in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer. Before Aviva she held a number of senior roles at both Barclays and Santander in Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, latterly as Managing Director of Wealth Management at Santander.

About the Money and Pensions Service    

The Money and Pensions Service vision is everyone making the most of their money and pensions.  

MaPS is an arm’s-length body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and has a joint commitment to provide access to the information and guidance people across the UK need, to make effective financial decisions over their lifetime. The organisation also engages with HM Treasury on policy matters relating to financial capability and debt advice.  

MaPS brings together the free services previously delivered by the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. MaPS offers customers guidance and appointments over the telephone, online and in person.  

For further information stakeholders should visit the Money and Pensions Service website www.moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk     
    

Consumers can continue to access free guidance about their money and pensions via the following websites and help lines:    
    

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk / 0800 138 7777    

www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk / 0800 011 3797    

www.pensionwise.gov.uk/en / 0800 138 3944

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