FOS appoints chief financial ombudsman

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) appoints Natalie Ceeney as chief ombudsman and chief executive.

Ceeney, who will takeover the post in March, succeeds Walter Merricks who stepped down in October 2009 after ten years in the post.

She will join FOS from the National Archives where she is chief executive and Keeper of the Public Records.

Previously Ceeney has worked as director of operations and services at the British Library, and has also led strategic consultancy projects across a range of industries at McKinsey & Company.

Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of FOS, says: "Natalie Ceeney takes up the position of chief ombudsman at a turning point for the ombudsman service. Set up ten years ago to deal with 30,000 complaints annually, we are now gearing up for an annual workload of 200,000 cases.

"This includes a million phone calls a year from consumers with financial problems of every kind. We now have in place some 900 adjudicators and over 40 specialist ombudsmen - and operate on a £100 million budget.

"The challenges and demands now facing us are ones that Natalie will be ideally positioned to meet - with her extensive experience in strategic change management and engagement with a range of government departments and stakeholders."

Ceeney, says: "The exceptional demand placed on the ombudsman service in recent times clearly reflects public regard for the ombudsman as the independent, impartial and accessible provider of justice.

"I look forward to working with colleagues at the ombudsman service - as well as with all the ombudsman's customers and stakeholders - to ensure we build on existing successes in providing access to redress and helping to underpin confidence in financial services.

David Thomas will continue to carry out the responsibilities of the post on an interim basis until Ceeney takes up the position on 22 March 2010.