Our Ombudsmen make final decisions in cases where we can’t resolve a consumer’s complaint about a business more informally. If someone who has made a complaint accepts an Ombudsman’s final decision, the business involved has to do what the decision says. Find out more about how we make decisions.
Appointments to the panel of Ombudsmen are made under paragraphs 4 and 5 of schedule 17 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Our Chairman and Board of Directors are responsible for appointing our Ombudsmen. Find out more about how our service is governed.
Chief Ombudsman
Abby Thomas
Chief Executive and Chief Ombudsman
Appointed October 2022
Career history
- Director of Strategy Marketing and Transformation, Virgin Media O2
- Executive Customer Director, Virgin Media O2
- Global Head of Customer Operations, Vodafone Business
- Transformation Director, BT
Deputy Chief Ombudsman
James Dipple-Johnstone
Deputy Chief Ombudsman
Appointed October 2022
Career history
- Deputy Commissioner and Chief Regulating Officer, Information Commissioners Office
- Director of Investigation and Supervision, Solicitor’s Regulation Authority
- Operations Director, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
- Commissioner, North West England Police Forces
Senior Ombudsmen
Richard West
Director of Casework Policy
Appointed December 2022
Career history
- Lead Ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Solicitor, Private Practice
Pat Hurley
Ombudsman Director
Appointed December 2022
Career history
- Lead Ombudsman and Director of Casework, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Director of Casework, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Head of Casework Teams, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Manager, Paralegal Firm
Rachel Lam
Ombudsman Director
Appointed January 2023
Career history
- Ombudsman Leader, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Head of Casework Operations (new services), Financial Ombudsman Service
- Head of Casework teams (mortgages), Financial Ombudsman Service
- Social Fund Manager, London and the South East, Jobcentre Plus, DWP
Clare Mortimer
Ombudsman Leader
Appointed April 2014
Career history
- Ombudsman, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Casework Manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Deputy Complaints Manager, Office of the Banking Ombudsman
Vivienne Kelly
Ombudsman Director
Appointed January 2023
Career history
- Head of Customer Service, Shell Energy
- General Manager, Capita Customer Management
- Senior Client Relationship Manager, Equidebt Limited
-
Senior Manager, Collections Operations, Black Horse Finance
-
Head of Customer Service, Lloyds TSB Autolease
Our Ombudsmen in alphabetical order
Liz Feeney
Ombudsman
Appointed July 2024
Career history
- Advice Policy Consultant, Wesleyan Financial Services
- Regional Compliance Manager, Sanlam and Winterthur AXA
- Complaints Quality Assessor, Zurich Financial Services
Lorna Ball
Ombudsman
Appointed July 2024
Career history
- Solicitor - Private Practice
- Legal Executive - In-house Legal Department for HSBC (Defendant Personal Injury)
Lorna Goulding
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2014
Career history
- Team Manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Complaint Handler, Financial Services Authority
- Quality & Marketing Manager, Deedscan Limited
Lorna Wall
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2023
Career history
- Senior Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Fraud investigator, Lloyds TSB Bank
Louise Bardell
Ombudsman
Appointed October 2013
Career history
- Head of Group Credit Regulatory and Reporting, Lloyds Banking Group
- Senior Manager, Lloyds Banking Group
- Senior Credit Analyst, Lloyds Banking Group
Louise O’Sullivan
Ombudsman
Appointed February 2020
Career history
- Head of Student Programmes, Imperial College London
- Venue Security Portfolio Manager, Olympic Security Directorate, Home Office
- Assistant Ombudsman, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Louise Povey
Ombudsman
Appointed July 2011
Career history
- Adjudicator, PhonepayPlus
- Administering Appeals, Cambridgeshire County Council
- Roles with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Medical Council and the Legal Services Commission
Louise Wilson
Ombudsman
Appointed April 2015
Career history
- Barrister, Carmelite Chambers
- Visiting Lecturer/Adviser, King's College London and media companies
- Barrister, Goldsmith Chambers
Lucinda Puls
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2022
- Senior Policy Associate, Financial Conduct Authority
- Investigator, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
- Fitness to Practise Caseworker – The General Dental Council
Lucy Wilson
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2014
Career history
- Lead Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
Luke Gordon
Ombudsman
Appointed November 2016
Career history
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Proprietary Fixed Income Trader, MET Traders Ltd
- Broker, MET Traders Ltd
Marc Purnell
Ombudsman
Appointed July 2019
Career history
- Team Manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Investor Service Solutions Manager, IFDS
- Collections Manager, HSBC
