A new chairman has been appointed to the Financial Services Consumer Panel, succeeding Sue Lewis after five and a half years in the role.
The Financial Conduct Authority today (February 19) announced Wanda Goldwag will take up the role from March 1, on an initial three-year term.
The panel is an independent statutory body created to advise the regulator on the interests and concerns of consumers in its policy development, with appointments to the panel made by the FCA board and approved by HM Treasury.
Ms Goldwag currently chairs the Office of Legal Complaints, the board that controls the legal ombudsman service for England and Wales, a position she has held since April 2017.
In her new role Ms Goldwag will be responsible for ensuring performance goals are met on the consumer panel and presenting its views to senior staff at the FCA.
Charles Randell, chairman at the FCA, said the consumer panel played a "vital role" in ensuring the regulator hears the voice of consumers.
He said: "I am sure that Wanda will continue the important work of the panel and I look forward to working with her in her new role.
"I would like to thank Sue for her contribution to the work of the panel and also Mark Chidley, who stood in as interim chairman for two months."
Ms Goldwag said: "The panel plays a significant part in ensuring the FCA meets its objectives – and particularly to secure an appropriate degree of protection for consumers – and I’m looking forward to meeting regularly with the chairman and chief executive of the FCA to promote consumer interests.
"Sue Lewis was a very strong consumer champion and will be a hard act to follow but I am excited about the challenge of exerting influence on the future shape of financial conduct regulation in the UK."
rachel.addison@ft.com
