Governance

Mr Colin Neave AM is the Chief Ombudsman of the Financial Ombudsman Service.

On 1 July 2008, the Banking & Financial Services Ombudsman (BFSO), Financial Industry Complaints Service (FICS) and Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS) merged to form the national Financial Ombudsman Service. The Financial Ombudsman Service has three divisions corresponding to the old merged schemes: Banking & Finance; Investments, Life Insurance &Superannuation; and General Insurance.

	Chief Ombudsman Colin Neave AM Colin is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, having been admitted to practice in 1967. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. Colin practiced as a Solicitor in Melbourne for 20 years between 1967 and 1987. During the last five years of that period, he was Company Secretary of AMI Toyota Ltd, then a listed public company. Between 1987 and 1996, he held senior positions with various Governments, including Secretary of the Attorney-General Department in Victoria, Commissioner for Consumer Affairs in South Australia and Managing Director of the Legal Aid Commission in New South Wales. He commenced as Australian Banking Industry Ombudsman in February 1996 and immediately prior to his appointment as Chief Ombudsman, held the office of Banking & Financial Services Ombudsman. He is Chairperson of the Legal Services Board of Victoria, having held that office since December 2005. He is also Chairman of the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council, having held that office since July 1997.
	Ombudsman – Banking & Finance Philip Field Prior to the establishment of the Financial Ombudsman Service, Philip was General Manager – Corporate and Legal Counsel at the Banking & Financial Services Ombudsman (BFSO). He joined the BFSO as Legal Counsel in February 2002 and was appointed General Manager – Corporate in March 2006. Prior to joining the BFSO, he worked in private practice and as an in-house solicitor in the financial services sector. Philip was also a volunteer solicitor at the Springvale Legal Service. Philip holds a Bachelor of Economics, a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) and a Master of Laws (Commercial Law) all from Monash University and was admitted to legal practice in March 1986.
	Ombudsman – Investments, Life Insurance & Superannuation Alison Maynard Prior to the establishment of the Financial Ombudsman Service on 1 July 2008, Alison Maynard had been Chief Executive of the Financial Industry Complaints Services (FICS) since January 2001. Prior to that she was the National Operations Manager at Insurance Enquiries & Complaints Ltd. Alison has also worked as a Director of the SIO Consumer Appeals Centre, Supervisor of Clinical Training at Leo Cussen Institute (Solicitor Training) and as a solicitor at the Coburg and St Kilda Community Legal Centres. Alison holds a Bachelor of Jurisprudence and a Bachelor of Law from Monash University and was admitted to legal practice in April 1982.
	Ombudsman – General Insurance Sam Parrino Prior to the establishment of the Financial Ombudsman Service, Sam was Ombudsman at the Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS). He is a leading expert in alternative dispute resolution and brings together consumer and industry interests to ensure resolution of disputes. Sam also works with the stakeholders to monitor industry compliance of the Insurance Council of Australia's General Insurance Code of Practice and promotes improved industry standards in claims handling and dispute resolution. Sam is a law graduate from Monash University and was admitted to practice with the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1976

Board

The Financial Ombudsman Service is governed by an independent board of consumer representatives and financial services industry representatives. The Board also seeks expertise and advice from Specialist Advisory Committees drawn from Financial Ombudsman Service member organisations and consumer organisations. The role of the Board is to monitor the performance of the Financial Ombudsman Service, provide direction to the Ombudsman on policy matters, set the budget and review from time to time, the Terms of Reference including the jurisdictional limits of the Ombudsman. The Board does not get involved in the detail of cases which come before the Ombudsman as that would prejudice the independence of the Ombudsman. The decisions of the Ombudsman are independent of any interference from the Board.

	Chairman Peter E Daly AM Prior to the establishment of the Financial Ombudsman Service, Peter was the Chair of the Boards of the Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS) and the Financial Industry Complaints Service (FICS). Peter was appointed as Chief Executive and Managing Director of Norwich Winterthur Group in 1983 and has held a number of directorships since then, including as Deputy Chairman of the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board. He was the President of the Insurance Council of Australia 1986-1987 and CEO from 1991-1997. In 2004, Peter was awarded the Order of Australia for services to the insurance industry and to the community, particularly through the advancement of alternative dispute resolution and consumer protection.
	Prof. the Hon Michael Lavarch Professor The Hon. Michael Lavarch is Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Queensland University of Technology. He is a former Federal Attorney-General and a former Secretary-General of the Law Council of Australia. Professor Lavarch holds a number of Board positions and consulting roles including Director of the National Electricity Market Management Company (NEMMCO), Chief Adjudicator of the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) and Director of the Audit Quality Review Board (AQRB).
	Fiona Guthrie Fiona Guthrie was previously a director of the Banking & Financial Services Ombudsman Ltd (BFSO). Fiona is currently a member of the advisory committee of the Centre for Credit and Consumer Law at Griffith University. She works as a management consultant specialising in workshop facilitation and social and consumer policy. Her previous roles include: Deputy Chair of the Consumers' Federation of Australia, Chair of the Centre for Credit and Consumer Law, board member of the Insurance Ombudsman Service, member of the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council, board member of Energex Retail Pty Ltd, board member of the Queensland Building Services Authority. She helped set up Queensland first financial counselling service and was the inaugural secretary/treasurer of the Financial Counsellors Association of Queensland. She holds a B.A. (psychology) and an M.B.A. (finance).
	Susie Upton Susie was previously a director of the Banking & Financial Services Ombudsman Ltd (BFSO). Susie is the Head of Risk for RAMS Financial Group following its purchase by Westpac Banking Corporation in January 2008. Prior to that Susie was Head of Analytics & Unsecured Risk, for Westpac Consumer Financial Services.
	David Squire David was previously a director of the Financial Industry Complaints Service (FICS). David is the National Industry Liaison Manager for MLC. He has in excess of forty years experience in general banking, life and general insurance and financial planning in a variety of roles including compliance and regulatory policy. David has actively been involved in industry advocacy dating back to 1982 and is a director of the National Insurance Brokers Association and former director of the Australasian Compliance Institute, as well as being a member of the Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA) Regulatory Affairs Board committee. Additionally he chairs a number of active committees at the aforementioned bodies and is the former chair of FPA Regulations Committee and member of Treasury's FSRA Implementation Consultative Committee.
	Russell McKimm Russell was previously a director of the Financial Industry Complaints Service (FICS). Russell has almost thirty years experience in the stockbroking industry and is currently the Director of Shaw Stockbroking in Melbourne. Previous positions include Director for Tolhurst Noall Ltd from 2001 to 2005 and Managing Director of Ord Minnett Ltd from 1988 to 1991. He holds a Diploma of Financial Planning from Deakin University and has studied at the Securities Institute of Australia where he was also a regular lecturer in their Certificate and Graduate Diploma courses before leaving Sydney. Russell is a past President of the Financial Planners Association (FPA) and a former Board member of the FPA Complaints Resolution scheme and is a current Panel member for ASX National Adjudicatory Tribunal and ASTC Disciplinary Tribunal.
	Jenni Mack Jenni was previously a director of the Financial Industry Complaints Service (FICS). She has extensive consumer affairs and complaints handling experience. Jenni is Chair of the consumer watchdog Choice and ASIC's Consumer Advisory Board. She is a former executive director of the Consumers' Federation of Australia, the peak consumer body. She was the deputy legal services Commissioner in NSW responsible for handling complaints about lawyers in the mid '90s. She has represented the community on the NSW Judicial Commission (which amongst other things deals with complaints about judicial officers), and sits on the Migration Agents' Registration Authority's Professional Standards committee. Jenni is also a director of Insurance Brokers Disputes and a director of the Travel Compensation Fund.
	Kerrie Kelly Kerrie was previously a director of the Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS). Kerrie is Executive Director and CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia. She is a lawyer who has held senior executive positions in the public and private sectors working in the fields of banking and finance, manufacturing and transport. Kerrie has held, among others, the positions of Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Association of Australia; Executive, National Corporate Actions at ASX Perpetual Registrars Limited; National Director, Trustee Corporations Association of Australia; and Director, Corporate Secretariat at the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority. She has also had substantial retail banking experience with the ANZ Banking Group, and is well regarded as a lobbyist at a state and national level. Ms Kelly is also a Member of the Australian Government's Financial Literacy Foundation Advisory Board; and Director of Finance Industry Council of Australia Ltd.
	Dr Elizabeth Lanyon Elizabeth was previously a consumer director of the Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS). Elizabeth is currently General Manager, Consumer Policy and Programs at Consumer Affairs Victoria. Elizabeth is co-author of the two major texts on consumer credit law in Australia. She has held positions as a partner and consultant in financial services at major Australian law firms and as associate professor and associate dean at Monash University Law School. Prior to her current appointment, Elizabeth was a long time member and former chair of the Financial Services Committee of the Law Council of Australia.