Previous roles included ACCC deputy chair
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has bolstered its board with the appointment of outgoing ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard.
Rickard is to join the AFCA board from Aug. 1 for a period of three years, supporting its role as an external dispute resolution scheme for the financial services industry.
The ACCC’s deputy chair since June 2012, Rickard (pictured above) has extensive public service experience and a passion for consumer protection.
She has worked in various senior roles, primarily at ACCC and ASIC. Rickard is an associate member of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, a trustee of the Jan Pentland Foundation and chair of the Good Shepherd Advisory Committee on financial inclusion action plans.
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Rickard has been honoured for her services over the years, earning the Public Service Medal in 2011 for her contribution to consumer protection and financial services and the Society of Consumer Affairs Professional Lifetime Achievement Award. Recently, Rickard was the inaugural winner of the Law Council of Australia’s Consumer Rights Award.
Announcing Rickard’s appointment on Tuesday, AFCA independent chair professor John Pollaers OAM (pictured below) said Rickard had a deep understanding of the current and emerging challenges facing consumers and financial firms.
“We will also benefit from her insight into financial inclusion, as we seek to ensure all Australians have access to our ombudsman service,” Pollaers said.
AFCA’s board is composed of an independent and expert group of directors holding extensive experience across financial services and consumer, Pollaers said. The board is committed to ensuring that AFCA continues to be an effective external dispute resolution scheme for financial services.
Pollaers said the board’s focus was on “efficiency and customer service” and providing clear value to members and the community.
“Ms Rickard’s deep knowledge and expertise in the consumer space will ensure AFCA continues to deliver against these goals and keeps an essential focus on ensuring consumer accessibility and inclusion,” he said.
Rickard said AFCA played a “vital role” in protecting consumers and helping the financial services sector deliver the best possible service to customers.
“I look forward to contributing to an organisation with such a strong sense of purpose, one that is having a real impact for consumers and the financial services sector,” Rickard said.
While at the ACCC, Rickard was on various committees, including consumer data rights, enforcement and compliance, and product safety. At ASIC, she oversaw the development of the Moneysmart website.
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Rickard was also a member of ACCC’s financial services competition board and chaired a market study on the cost of insurance in northern Australia, Pollaers said.
