EQUITY RELEASE COUNCIL APPOINTS JIM BOYD AS CEO


EQUITY RELEASE COUNCIL APPOINTS JIM BOYD AS CEO


●     Former Corporate Affairs Director at Partnership Assurance Group plc and expert policy adviser is appointed by the board of the Equity Release Council


●     Boyd will work alongside David Burrowes as Chairman and Donna Bathgate as Chief Operating Officer to lead the organisation and represent its growing membership


●     Expansion of the executive team marks the development of The Council and the increasingly important role that equity release plays in financial planning for later life

 

The Equity Release Council (The Council) has appointed Jim Boyd to the new role of Chief Executive Officer to expand and strengthen its executive capacity as the representative trade body for the equity release sector.

 

Boyd brings with him a wealth of experience from across the retirement landscape gained via senior industry and policy roles. Having successfully launched Just Retirement in 2004 as its first Head of External Communications, he was an expert adviser to the Department of Work and Pensions and Deputy Director and Head of Research at the influential think tank Reform, where he focused on retirement, pensions and long-term care funding.

 

During his career at Partnership Assurance Group plc – a leading FTSE UK specialist life assurer with £8.4bn of assets under management – Boyd oversaw all external media and policy issues with a mandate to support the business’ growth, while helping to shape government policy discussions in areas including the 2014 Care Act and the secondary annuities market.

 

His appointment to The Council – with immediate effect, following a board decision in June – comes as equity release plays an increasingly important role in later life planning. The industry surpassed £3bn of lending for the first time in 2017 to nearly 67,000 new or returning customers, while The Council itself has grown to represent over 220 member firms and 710 individuals.

 

Boyd will work with David Burrowes as Chairman and Donna Bathgate as Chief Operating Officer to help The Council explore new opportunities and build awareness of the high standard of products and advice on offer, as equity release cements a position in mainstream financial planning.

 

As CEO, Boyd will help The Council’s members develop the market effectively, to ensure it is fit for purpose to meet evolving consumer needs. He will also be a vocal advocate for the benefits of housing wealth within later life funding and retirement planning to the government, voluntary and public sectors, along with regulatory, consumer and professional bodies.

 

David Burrowes, Chairman of the Equity Release Council comments: “I’m delighted to welcome Jim Boyd to the new role of CEO. Housing wealth is realising its potential to play a vital role in broader retirement planning conversations. As these debates continue, Jim’s experience in the strategic development of organisations and policy initiatives will be instrumental in The Council’s development as the sector’s authoritative voice.

 

“Jim will play a central role in building the next chapter of the equity release sector’s growth, engaging with industry and government about practical solutions to support the UK’s ageing population.”

 

Jim Boyd, incoming CEO of the Equity Release Council adds: “The Council has done fantastic work in facilitating the growth of a safe equity release market that gives more consumers access to a financial solution in later life. As the market goes from strength to strength, it’s a very exciting time to be joining The Council. I’m looking forward to representing the equity release sector and its customers as we face up to wide-ranging societal challenges, from intergenerational wealth inequalities to social care needs.”

 

– ENDS –

 

For further information, please contact:

Andy Lane or Kia McLean at Instinctif Partners, on 020 7427 2020 or email: [email protected]

 

About the Equity Release Council

www.equityreleasecouncil.com

 

The Equity Release Council is the representative trade body for the equity release sector with over 220 member firms and 710 individuals registered, including providers, regulated financial advisers, solicitors, surveyors and other professionals.

 

It leads a consumer-focused UK based equity release market by setting authoritative standards and safeguards for the trusted provision of advice and products. Since 1991, nearly 420,000 homeowners have accessed over £22bn of housing wealth via Council members to support their finances.

 

The Council also works with government, voluntary and public sectors, and regulatory, consumer and professional bodies to inform and influence debate about the use of housing wealth in later life and retirement planning.