Joining the main board are Legal & General’s managing director of individual retirement Bernie Hickman, More 2 Life’s managing director Dave Harris, Hodge Lifetime’s managing director Deian Jones, Pure Retirement’s managing director Paul Carter and Aviva UK Life’s managing director of equity release Roger Marsden.
The Equity Release Council has made a raft of appointments to its board – and Key Retirement’s technical director Dean Mirfin will represent advisers from its standards board.
Joining the main board are Legal & General’s managing director of individual retirement Bernie Hickman, More 2 Life’s managing director Dave Harris, Hodge Lifetime’s managing director Deian Jones, Pure Retirement’s managing director Paul Carter and Aviva UK Life’s managing director of equity release Roger Marsden.
Bridgewater Equity Release director Paul Barber has been re-elected while stepping down from the board are Craig Colton, Jon Tweed and Colin Taylor of Aviva, Hodge Lifetime and Key Retirement.
On the council’s standards board Dean Mirfin will follow Age Partnership’s Simon Chalk in representing advisers, while taking over from Nikki Smith of Just Retirement as a provider representative is David Forsdyke, head of equity release compliance at Retirement Advantage and Financial Conduct Authority.
Nigel Waterson, chairman of the Equity Release Council, said: “As the council celebrates 25 years of safe equity release and our membership continues to grow in size, we’re delighted to announce these appointments which strengthen the board’s representation across the sector.
“Our new directors bring a wealth of experience and insight to draw upon, and I would also like to thank the outgoing board members for their valuable support during a period of rapid growth.
“Rising demand for equity release demonstrates the growing importance of housing wealth as an income source in later life. Equity release is on the path to becoming more established as a mainstream product in retirement planning.
“The council is focused on supporting this by working to inform government and regulatory decisions, and seeking industry collaborations in product development, adviser education and consumer awareness.”
The appointments were made at the council's annual general meeting last week.
In the first quarter of 2016 the value of new equity release plans reached £393.9m, a 21% increase year-on-year.
