FREE DEBT ADVICE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Risk and Compliance
- Member of the Leadership Team of C3 Church
Alex joined StepChange in 2023 with over 15 years of experience across the financial services sector, predominantly in risk and compliance roles.
Prior to joining StepChange he was Head of Risk for TransUnion. Alex previously worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group in Edinburgh before moving to Yorkshire where he held roles at PwC and Yorkshire Building Society.
In addition, Alex is a member of the leadership team of C3 Church in Leeds and York.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
Charlotte Chambers is an accomplished technology professional, with 20+ years of service and operational experience across multiple sectors.
Charlotte has experience working in several different sectors, including 12 years in retail.
Charlotte has a proven track record in building high performing teams, is passionate about colleague development, and has led the women in leadership programme across Asda Technology.
Charlotte also successfully led service and programme delivery across multiple application and infrastructure platforms, including multiple transformation programmes, delivering service improvement, quality, and efficiencies and has most recently been the lead on one of the largest eCommerce technology transformation programmes in Europe, following Asda's divesture from Walmart, with her remit spanning all of eCommerce Technology for Asda.
Charlotte is also a mum of 3, and lives in the North East with her family.
Chris joined the Board in 2021. He is a member of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee. He has significant Financial Services, Lending and Payments experience, and is a qualified chartered accountant.
For the last two years Chris has led the Worldpay from FIS SMB business in the UK, Ireland and for the direct channels in the US.
Prior to WorldPay he ran scale businesses and functions for Barclays and Barclaycard in the UK, Europe and North America, and he had extensive experience in both Executive and Non-Executive roles.
Chris' career started as a consultant for Accenture with clients in Europe, North America and Australasia where he specialised in Financial Services and Comms / Hi-tech.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education
Dame Suzi Leather is Chair of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education and also chairs the Devon Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. She is a member of the General Medical Council and is a patron of the Donor Conception Network.
Previous roles include chairing the Charity Commission, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the LankellyChase Foundation and the School Food Trust. She was also a non-executive director of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
In 1994 Suzi was awarded the MBE for her services to agriculture and food safety and in 2006 she was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Suzi has a BA degree with honours in Politics, a BPhil degree in social work and an MA in European Politics.
Job Titles:
- Director of Client Experience
Gail leads the charity's Client Experience directorate, which covers the marketing, strategic relationships, business development and client journey functions.
With over 23 years' experience working across both B-2-C and B-2-B audiences, she has successfully led Marketing and Business Development teams across a number of sectors, in the delivery of corporate and commercial strategies. Most notably, in leadership roles bidding for and delivering services to the public and charitable sectors.
She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Job Titles:
- CEO of NEST
- Member of the Council of Scholar Advisors
Helen joined the StepChange Board in 2019 and is Chair of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, and the Board Champion for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
She has a strong background and long-standing interest in addressing financial inequalities and promoting financial resilience.
Working in the Department for Work & Pensions, she was one of the architects of the UK's automatic enrolment programme and a leading figure in establishing the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST).
Since 2015 Helen has been the CEO of NEST, with over 10 million members, now the largest pension scheme by membership, in the UK.
Helen is also a member of the Council of Scholar Advisors, Centre for Recruitment Initiatives, Georgetown University in Washington, a Governor of the Pensions Policy Institute UK and a member of the Advisory Board to the Money and Pensions Service.
Helen was awarded a CBE in the 2021 New Year Honours list for her services to pension saving.
The Rt. Hon Alun Michael is the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales. He is a member of the National Executive (Board) of the Cooperative Party, a Trustee of the Penarth Headland Link (a charitable company) and a Trustee of South Wales Police Youth Trust
He was Member of Parliament for South Cardiff and Penarth from 1987 to 2012, during which time he held office as Deputy Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Wales, Minister of State for Rural Affairs and Minister of State for Industry and the Regions.
Job Titles:
- Adviser to the Board of Surviving Economic Abuse
- Director of Risk and Compliance
Ian joined StepChange in 2021, having worked in the regulated Financial Services Industry for over 25 years, across a range of regional, national, and international firms of various sizes, including 13 years in various parts of Lloyds Banking Group.
Starting out in front line, customer facing roles at branch, area and regional level, Ian gained first hand insight into the real-world challenges of translating strategy into reality for customers and colleagues. He then moved into Head Office roles in Product & Proposition, Operations and First and Second Line Risk & Compliance, including leading direct interaction with the FCA over enforcement and rectification activity, oversighting the LBG Vulnerable Consumer strategy and supporting Equifax in developing and implementing a revised risk management framework.
Since 2020, Ian has also successfully co-led the UK Finance Vulnerability Academy, driving thought leadership, and supporting over 150 strategic leaders to date, from across the financial services, utilities, communications, and other sectors, in understanding the requirements of embedding consumer vulnerability, and good consumer outcomes in general, throughout the culture, policies, and relevant customer journeys of their organisations. The success of the academy has recently seen its remit broaden to include the first Regulator's Academy, in partnership with the UK Regulators' Network, helping Regulators develop responses to the same challenges across their markets.
Ian is also an adviser to the Board of Surviving Economic Abuse, the UK's only charity dedicated to raising awareness of and transforming responses to economic abuse, is a Parish Councillor and is Chair of Trustees of a small charity which supports provision of educational and cultural initiatives in the local community.
John was appointed Chair of StepChange Debt Charity in 2019. He is also a member of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee. He served as the inaugural Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority from 2013 to 2018, during which time the FCA took on responsibility for regulating consumer credit.
Previously, John had a career at KPMG, culminating in him becoming their UK Chairman and Senior Partner, and also Chairman of their European, Middle East and Africa region.
John is currently a Governor of Brentwood School, and is a trustee of the Rifles Volunteer Trust. He is also a Deputy Lieutenant in Essex. John was formerly Vice Chairman of the National Numeracy Trust.
John studied Economics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He is a chartered accountant and he was an officer in the Territorial Army for 14 years.
Lesley joined the StepChange Board in 2019. She is Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and Board Champion for Consumer Duty.
She is an independent non-executive director of National Bank of Kuwait International and of Pay.UK. She is also a Governor of the University of Hertfordshire.
She was previously Chief Executive of The Pensions Regulator.
Lesley has worked in many different roles in financial services regulation since 1992 and before joining TPR was Chief Operating Officer of the FCA from 2010 to 2015.
She is also a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Liz joined the Board in 2023. She brings lived experience to the Board as a previous beneficiary of the Charity's life changing services and a true passion for the cause.
She is CEO of ‘Hearts Together', a charity in Devon which works collaboratively with the local NHS Trust to deliver support services and hospital hotel accommodation for patients, carers, relatives, and healthcare professionals. Since taking up this role in 2017, Liz has led the charity through a period of change and transformation, developing a sustainable operating model to expand and enhance its services.
As a Charity CEO, and with a wealth of sector experience, Liz has an understanding of the importance of meeting an individual's needs, ensuring clients and consumers remain at the heart of decision making.
Mike joined the Board in 2023. Until early 2023, he was a Non-executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Barclays Plc, a role he had taken on following retirement from KPMG in September 2013.
At KPMG he had spent most of his career as an audit partner focussed primarily on the banking sector, but latterly was also responsible for KPMG's own risk management and was the firm's designated Ethics Partner.
He is currently also a member of the Cabinet Office Board and Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee and is a trustee at the Charities Aid Foundation and at The Scout Association.
Monica joined the StepChange Board in 2017. She is a non-executive director, trustee and business advisor with board experience in financial services, public policy and sustainability.
Monica is an Advisor to Clim8, the first fintech platform focused exclusively on investing for climate impact. She also works across the UK fintech ecosystem, advising start-ups and their founders - with a particular focus on advising and supporting female founders.
She is the Co-Founder of Neyber, a multi-award-winning Fintech firm focused on financial wellbeing. Neyber is included in KPMG's 2018 list of top 50 established global Fintech companies and was awarded "Ethical Financial Services Provider of the Year" at the Money Age Awards.
Formerly, Monica was the Co-Head of the European Banks Equity Research team at Goldman Sachs. She is a regular speaker at Global Fintech conferences, sharing her perspective on financial inclusion, innovation and disruption in financial services.
Monica was recognised by Forbes as one of the top female leaders in Fintech, included in Women in Fintech Power List by Innovate Finance UK and is listed as one of the Top 100 most influential BAME leaders in UK tech by the Financial Times & Inclusive Boards.
Job Titles:
- Director of Vitality Life
- Helen Dean
Nick joined the Board in 2019. He is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Nick brings technology, strategy and operational experience from a broad range of sectors. Most recently he co-founded Ordo which provides an open banking payments platform to help people gain better control of their payments.
Nick is a Director of Vitality Life and Health and Covea Insurance, and Chair of AND Digital and Pay Later Group. Significant prior roles included Chair of Faster Payments, a key part of the UK's payments infrastructure; Chair of MyCSP a public sector pensions administrator and an executive director of Logica, a major IT services company.
Richard provides strategic and financial leadership to ensure that the charity's financial objectives are met. He's a Chartered Accountant having qualified at EY in London.
Richard brings a wealth of commercial financial management experience gained in regulated financial services at Mitchell Farrar Group and Provident Financial plc as well as previously at Enterprise Oil plc.
Job Titles:
- Director of External Affairs and Operating Subsidiaries
Richard leads the charity's External Affairs department, which covers our policy, campaigning, communications and digital functions.
He also oversees StepChange's two operating subsidiaries - StepChange Financial Solutions and StepChange Voluntary Arrangements.
Richard has worked across the charity sector in a number of roles, notably leading the communications and campaigns teams at the national disability charity, Scope, and working on campaigns and public affairs at the LGBT charity Stonewall.
Job Titles:
- Director of People & Culture
Sian started her career in Human Resources at Morrison's Supermarkets in 1990. Her experience spans a wide range of industries including roles at Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Redcats UK, Callcredit Information Group where she was Group HR Director from 2008 to 2011.
From 2011 until 2013, Sian ran an HR business providing consultancy services to the professional services and logistics sectors. Sian joins us from Severfield Plc where she was Group HR Director.
She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
In addition, Sian volunteers her time as a Trustee for Northpoint Wellbeing, a mental health charity that provides talking therapies to adults and young people living in Yorkshire.
Sue joined the Board in 2023. She is a freelance consultant, drawing on the rich experience of an unusual career path. Her focus is customer vulnerability and financial services, as well as gambling related harm.
After graduating from Oxford with a degree in Experimental Psychology, Sue joined Barclays. She held senior roles in operations, marketing, and diversity and inclusion before leaving over ten years later. A period of entrepreneurial and third sector activity followed. Then, after overcoming some personal challenges, Sue returned to banking as part of the vulnerable customer team at Monzo.
Recent experience of working directly with people in difficult situations, combined with her own lived experience of financial difficulty, means Sue brings a unique perspective to her work.
Sue lives in Warwickshire. She is part-way through an MSc in Psychology and would like to study for a PhD, ideally whilst exploring the UK and beyond in a campervan.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Remuneration Committee at StepChange
Sue Lewis is Chair of the Remuneration Committee at StepChange. Her other Board roles include Trustee Director at award winning master trust The People's Pension, and Trustee of Surviving Economic Abuse and The Fairbanking Foundation.
Sue is also a member of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority's Occupational Pensions Stakeholder Group. Sue chaired the FCA's Financial Services Consumer Panel until December 2018. She advises overseas clients on financial education, financial inclusion and financial services consumer protection regulation.
Previously a senior civil servant, from 2005 to 2011 she was Head of Savings and Investments at the Treasury.
Tim joined the StepChange Board in 2017 and for four years was Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee (2019 to 2023).
He is the Chair of Polus Capital, Chair of the risk committee of UK Export Finance and an Emeritus Governor of the London School of Economics.
Before Polus, Tim worked in a series of trading and management positions at JP Morgan, and was a Director of the Bank of England. He started work as an officer in the British Army serving in Germany and in the Falkland Islands.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Trustee of Frank Parkinson Yorkshire Trust
Prior to Vikki's role of CEO, she lead the charity's operational teams who provide debt advice and ongoing solution service provision for our clients across a number of sites and all jurisdictions in the UK.
She has worked at the charity for over 17 years and has held a number of senior leadership positions including Head of Debt Advice and Director of Client Experience where she was responsible for the charity's strategic relationships and funding.
Vikki is also a Trustee of Frank Parkinson Yorkshire Trust, a local Leeds based charity that provides Almhouses for residents over the age of 65.
Earlier in her career Vikki held leadership positions within outsourced providers and financial services organisations.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Board Member and Director
Yvonne joined the StepChange Board in 2021. She is also a Non-Executive Director of the charity's two trading subsidiaries, CCCS Equity Release Ltd and CCCS Voluntary Arrangements Ltd.
She has been involved in credit and debt matters for 35 years, and stood down in 2021 after almost 24 years as Chief Executive of Money Advice Scotland.
Yvonne is passionate about the provision of debt advice and financial education, and treating customers fairly. Given the current economic and cost of living crisis, she is particularly concerned about how we ensure vulnerable consumers are not left out in the cold.
Yvonne is a Non-Executive Board member and Director sitting on four Boards from across the public, private and voluntary sectors, including the Credit Services Association and its subsidiary, and The Scottish Rail Preservation Society.
She is also Trustee of Pollok Credit Union.
In 2002 Yvonne received the OBE for services to disadvantaged communities, and in 2018 she was awarded the inaugural "Women in Credit" Lifetime Achievement Award.