our building

our ombudsmen and senior staff

panel of ombudsmen

Appointments to the panel of ombudsmen are made under paragraphs 4 and 5 of schedule 17 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Our ombudsmen make final decisions in the cases that our adjudicators have not been able to resolve more informally, earlier in our dispute-resolution process.

Walter Merricks CBE, chief ombudsman

appointed June 1999

previous jobs

  • ombudsman, Insurance Ombudsman Bureau
  • assistant secretary-general, law society

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Tony Boorman, principal ombudsman and decisions director

appointed March 2000

previous jobs

  • deputy director-general, Ofgem
  • director of supply competition, Office of Electricity Regulation
  • director, Electricity Consumer Council

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David Thomas, principal ombudsman and corporate director

appointed December 1999

previous jobs

  • ombudsman, Office of the Banking Ombudsman
  • lawyer, private practice

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Peter Hinchliffe,
lead ombudsman – general insurance

appointed February 2005

previous jobs

  • director of legal & risk management, Cancer Research UK
  • executive vice-president of legal & commercial, Marconi

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Jane Hingston
lead ombudsman – banking & credit

appointed January 2005

previous jobs

  • ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service 
  • customer services manager, Guardian Building Society
  • assistant chief clerk, Yorkshire Building Society

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Caroline Mitchell
lead ombudsman – general investment

appointed January 2005

previous jobs

  • ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • member, Police Complaints Authority
  • senior assistant, Insurance Ombudsman Bureau

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Caroline Wayman
lead ombudsman – mortgage endowments

appointed June 2007

previous jobs

  • service manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • adjudicator, Insurance Ombudsman Bureau
  • non-practising barrister

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Greg Barham, ombudsman

appointed January 2008

previous jobs

  • assistant casework manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • insurance claims negotiator

Audrey Baxter, ombudsman

appointed November 2004

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service & Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau
  • compliance technician, Century Life plc
  • financial consultant, Nationwide Building Society

David Bird, ombudsman

appointed May 2003

previous jobs

  • casework manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • compliance officer, Co-op Bank Financial Advisers
  • sales support, Equitable Life Assurance Company

Cathy Bovan, ombudsman

appointed January 2008

previous jobs

  • assistant casework manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • branch manager, Alliance & Leicester plc

Mike Boyall, ombudsman

appointed July 2002

previous jobs

  • deputy director, Department for Trade and Industry
  • official receiver, Insolvency Service
  • investigator/auditor, Audit Commission & Serious Fraud Office

Juliana Campbell, ombudsman

appointed February 2005

previous jobs

  • head of professional conduct, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
  • solicitor, private practice

Melissa Collett, ombudsman

appointed December 2004

previous jobs

  • solicitor, Lovells
  • assistant legal counsel, ACE Insurance
  • assistant corporate lawyer, Aviva plc

Reidy Flynn, ombudsman

appointed April 2000

previous jobs

  • ombudsman, Insurance Ombudsman Bureau
  • barrister, private practice
  • editor, All England Law Reports

Dawn Griffiths, ombudsman

appointed January 2008

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • complaints handling in the consumer credit and independent financial advisory sectors

Adrian Hudson, ombudsman

appointed December 2004

previous jobs

  • senior actuary, Barclays Life Assurance Company Limited
  • pensions actuary, Commercial Union Life
  • assistant director and scheme actuary, Godwins Limited

Michael Ingram, ombudsman

appointed November 2003

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • solicitor, private practice

Simon Leach, ombudsman

appointed September 2006

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • assistant pensions manager, Blick Rothenberg
  • broker-consultant, Scottish Equitable

Steve Lilley, ombudsman

appointed April 2000

previous jobs

  • senior executive, Insurance Ombudsman Bureau
  • underwriter, Lloyd's of London
  • assistant manager, insurance broker

Doug Mansell, ombudsman

appointed November 2004

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service & Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau
  • administrator, Barney Wilkins & Howard Ltd
  • administrator, McHale Heaney Brokers Ltd

David Millington, ombudsman

appointed October 2000

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Office of the Banking Ombudsman
  • senior manager, Midland Bank (now HSBC)
  • head of customer relations, Midland Bank (now HSBC)

Roy Milne, ombudsman

appointed November 2003

previous jobs

  • assistant casework manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • case officer, National Provident Institution
  • case officer, Black Horse Financial Services

Clare Mortimer, ombudsman

appointed November 2004

previous jobs

  • casework manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • deputy complaints manager, Office of the Banking Ombudsman
  • manager, Lloyds Bank plc

Claire O'Connor, ombudsman

appointed October 2006

previous jobs

  • solicitor, DLA
  • accountant, Ernst & Young

Nigel Pope, ombudsman

appointed January 2008

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • compliance functions within the stockbroking sector

Richard Prior, ombudsman

appointed April 2000

previous jobs

  • ombudsman, Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau
  • general manager, Lloyd's of London

Philip Roberts, ombudsman

appointed April 2000

previous jobs

  • ombudsman/senior legal officer, Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau
  • senior legal officer, Office of the Building Societies Ombudsman
  • solicitor, private practice

Mark Sceeny, ombudsman

appointed July 2002

previous jobs

  • casework manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • adjudicator, Insurance Ombudsman Bureau
  • barrister, private practice

Robert Short, ombudsman

appointed November 2003

previous jobs

  • assistant casework manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • underwriting team leader, Independent Insurance
  • customer liaison, Eagle Star

Charlie Sweeney, ombudsman

appointed January 2008

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • compliance auditor at an independent financial advisory firm
  • retail banking manager, Abbey

Richard Thompson, ombudsman

appointed October 2006

previous jobs

  • head of consumer enforcement, Ofcom
  • competition policy manager, Oftel
  • investigating officer, OFT

Chris Tilson, ombudsman

appointed April 2000

previous jobs

  • ombudsman, Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau
  • senior executive, Insurance Ombudsman Bureau
  • compliance officer, Pinnacle Insurance

Claire Wells, ombudsman

appointed January 2008

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • complaints handling within the mortgage broking sector

Richard West, ombudsman

appointed November 2003

previous jobs

  • adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
  • solicitor, private practice

Sue Wrigley, ombudsman

appointed September 2000

previous jobs

  • assistant director, Office for the Supervision of Solicitors

Roger Yeomans, ombudsman

appointed April 2000

previous jobs

  • ombudsman/head of legal services, Office of the Building Societies Ombudsman
  • corporate lawyer, Alliance & Leicester Building Society
  • solicitor, private practice