The Chartered Insurance Institute has added 5 more directors to the Personal Finance Society (PFS) board.

Andy Briscoe, Neil Buckley, Christine Elliott, Edward Grant and Catharine Seddon are joining the PFS board for an initial period of one year.

The changes come shortly after a new interim President and 2 member directors were appointed earlier this week to the PFS board.

The PFS has 40,000 members and awards the Chartered Financial Planner designation.

Edward Grant is a director at wealth manager St James’ Place. He is a Chartered Financial Planner, Chartered Wealth Manager and Fellow of the PFS. He is a Past President of the PFS, serving six years on the PFS board, and a past vice president of the CII.

Andy Briscoe is a former chair of the Money Advice Service and Indesser, the joint venture between the Cabinet office and Equifax.

Neil Buckley is an experienced non-executive director and chair of multiple organisations. He is the former CEO of the Legal Services Board and director of Investigations at Ofcom.

Christine Elliott is the former CEO of The Institute for Turnaround and Transformation and director of Bletchley Park.  

Catharine Seddon has held leadership roles across a broad range of bodies including the Gambling Commission, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, Legal Services Board and Children and Family Courts Advisory and Support Service.

Dr Helen Phillips, group chair of the CII, said: “The CII Group Board warmly welcomes all the new directors – member and institute – to the PFS Board, as well as the rapid progress made by the PFS Board at its first meeting of this new era. I would also like to congratulate Anthony Ward on being appointed interim President of the PFS.

“The CII Group Board is pleased to be able to discharge its responsibility to our members and support the evolution of the PFS board by appointing these additional high calibre professionals alongside the new member directors.

"These new appointments further enhance the skills and experience of the PFS board, and we look forward to them being joined by additional directors, as well as identifying a new independent chair, later in the year. Together, they will draw up a new blueprint for governance of the PFS that will inspire confidence in all who have a shared interest in ensuring public confidence and trust in the Financial Planning and mortgage advice professions.”

Three existing institute directors – Azlina Bulmer, Mark Hutchinson and Gill White – who all hold roles on the CII’s Leadership Team - will simultaneously step down from the PFS board.

Earlier this week the PFS selected Barclays Wealth Chartered Financial Planner Anthony Ward as its new interim President. https://www.financialplanningtoday.co.uk/news/item/16250-pfs-appoints-interim-president-and-new-directors

The PFS board also agreed at its 3 July meeting to recruit a new, independent chair.

Interim CEO Don Macintyre will also continue in post for a further six months.

New PFS President Anthony Ward said: “I am pleased to welcome these new colleagues to the PFS board. They collectively bring vast, complementary experience to the existing board directors and I am looking forward to us working together – and with Helen and the rest of the CII Group board – to advance our shared goals for the benefit of PFS members.

"I’d also like to warmly thank Azlina, Gill and Mark for their immense support, wise counsel, and deep endeavour on behalf of the PFS Board and for the benefit of the wider membership over their terms of appointment.”

The appointments come just three weeks after two independent directors of the PFS quit the board over a row over the potential transfer of £19m in PFS reserves to parent body the CII.

The PFS and CII have been at loggerheads since last year on the future direction of the PFS, the professional body which provides the Chartered Financial Planning designation.