Anthony Arter becomes interim TPO chair
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The Department for Work and Pensions has appointed former pensions ombudsman Anthony Arter as the new interim chair of the Pensions Ombudsman service, to step in following the death of Caroline Rookes in October last year.
Arter has been appointed from 1 January for an interim period, the DWP said, without specifying for how long, while a recruitment campaign will be conducted to fill the position permanently. He takes over from Caroline Rookes, who died suddenly in October last year. Rookes had been due to serve for five years from December 2020.
Pensions minister Paul Maynard welcomed Arter, adding that “he brings a wealth of experience and I look forward to working with him.”
Maynard paid tribute to “the steadfast leadership and dedication” Rookes had provided during her time as chair. Rookes, a former civil servant and ex-chief executive of the Money Advice Service, also led an independent review of communications and support provided to British Steel Pension Scheme members during the 2017-18 pension restructuring exercise.
Arter said: “It is with mixed emotions that I have accepted the role of TPO’s interim chair following the unexpected, sad and untimely death of Caroline Rookes. However, it is an honour to have been appointed and I look forward to working with my fellow non-executive directors supporting the pensions ombudsman Dominic Harris and his colleagues, in order to meet the organisation’s strategic objectives.”
Harris, who replaced Arter in January last year, said: “It is important that the organisation has stability, and it is an excellent idea to appoint someone with Anthony’s knowledge and experience of TPO to support us through this period.”
As interim chair, Arter will be paid £24,000 annually, based on a minimum time commitment of 36 days per year. The other non-executives include Emir Feisal, a chartered accountant and former associate managing editor of the Sunday Times, Myfanwy Barrett, an accountant and public finance expert, and Robert Branagh, CEO of the London Pensions Fund Authority.
Who could become the next permanent chair of TPO?
