Member Information

Chairman
Robert Weir FCA*

Mr. Weir has been a member of the Committee since 1997 and was appointed Vice Chairman and Senior Independent Director in 2007 and Chairman in 2010. He was a director of the Household Mortgage Corporation and has wide experience in financial and general management.

Vice Chairman
Norman Riddell*

Mr. Riddell joined the Society in 2006 and was appointed Vice Chairman and Senior Independent Director in 2010. Having trained and qualified as a commercial banker in Scotland, he moved into investment management and held the position of Chief Investment Officer in three different investment management companies, including the INVESCO Group, over a period of some 20 years. He has served in the capacity of non-executive director in a number of financial companies, including Life Assurance Holding Corporation and is currently Chairman of Independent Risk Monitoring Limited.

Chief Executive
John Reeve FCA

Mr. Reeve joined the Society in 1982 as its Internal Auditor, having previously worked for Deloitte Haskins & Sells. He was promoted to Treasurer in 1984 and has led the Society since 1987 firstly as General Manager and from 1992 as Chief Executive. He is a Chartered Accountant and has been Chairman of the Investment and Life Assurance Group, President of the Association of Friendly Societies and is currently Vice Chairman of the Association of Financial Mutuals and a Trustee of the Share Foundation.

Peter Box*

Mr. Box was until recently an audit and business advisory partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, to a broad range of companies from large international businesses to specialist national firms in his 39-year career. In particular, through his focus on the insurance industry, he has developed a deep understanding of the major issues affecting the sector, both in the UK and around the world, and has significant experience of regulatory and governance matters. He also serves as a Vice Chairman and non-executive director of Marsh Limited.

Ian Buckley*

Mr Buckley is a director of Rathbone Brothers Plc and is a member of its Group Executive Committee. Prior to this, he was Chief Executive of Smith & Williamson from 1985 to 1995. He was subsequently Chief Executive of EFG Private Bank Limited and in February 2000 set up Tenon Group Plc. He is also Chairman of NXT Plc.

Veronica France*

Ms France was appointed to the Committee in 2006. She has held positions as Marketing Director for a life assurance and unit trust group and a reassurance company. Since 1992 Ms France has been an independent business development consultant working with a wide range of UK financial services organisations. Ms France is a past chairman of the Investment and Life Assurance Group and chairs this trade body's Non-Executive Directors' Forum.

Chief Operating Officer
Rob Edwards

Mr. Edwards has been a full-time executive of the Society since 1988, with prior 10 years experience with a medium sized life and pensions company and another Friendly Society. He was appointed to the Committee in 1997, became General Manager in 2001 and Chief Operating Officer in 2006. He is responsible for overseeing the Society’s Marketing, Customer Services, Operational Finance, Corporate Projects and IT functions. He also chairs the COO Network for the Association of Financial Mutuals.

Finance Director
John Adams FCCA

Mr. Adams is a Certified Accountant and has been a full-time executive of the Society since 1986 when he was appointed Financial Controller. He was promoted to Finance Director and appointed to the Committee in 1993. Mr. Adams previously worked for American Express for 7 years in a variety of finance roles, and is a director of Brighton and Hove Albion in the Community, a charity which supports and assists the disadvantaged youth of Brighton and Hove through football.

Secretary and Corporate Services Director
Keith Meeres FCoI

Mr. Meeres joined the Society in 1993 as Compliance Officer having previously worked for a large insurer and a building society. He became Secretary in 1996. He was appointed to the Committee in 1997. He is responsible for overseeing the Society’s Regulatory Compliance, Risk, Internal Audit, Human Resources and Facilities functions. He is a member of the Regulations Committees of the Investment and Life Assurance Group and the Association of Financial Mutuals and a Fellow of the Compliance Institute.

Business Development Director
Miles Bingham

Mr. Bingham joined the Society in 2001 as Head of Marketing following 11 years in various marketing and product development roles at both HSBC and Abbey (now Santander). In 2008, he was promoted to Business Development Director with key responsibility for finding new distribution partners alongside managing a number of existing relationships, as well as for expanding the overall range of products offered by the Society.