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
Simon Yates
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2024
Career history
- Senior Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
Simona Charles
Ombudsman
Appointed July 2019
Career history
- Team Manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Criminal Paralegal, Ledgisters Solicitors
Siobhan Kelly
Ombudsman
Appointed April 2015
Career history
- Solicitor, Serious Fraud Office
- Solicitor Advocate, Private Practice
- Solicitor, Crown Prosecution Service
Siobhan McBride
Ombudsman
Appointed January 2014
Career history
- Senior Probation Officer, London Probation Trust
- Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Justice
- Probation Officer, London Probation Trust
Sonal Matharu
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2018
Career history
- Team Manager – Financial Ombudsman Service
- Local Chief Executive Officer – Royal Bank of Scotland Group
- Senior Banking Manager – Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Sonia Ahmed
Ombudsman
Appointed June 2021
Career history
- Senior Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
Sophia Smith
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2014
Career history
- Lead Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- High Court Advocate Clerk, Crown Prosecution Service
Sophie Goodyear
Ombudsman
Appointed March 2019
Career history
- Head of Complaints, The Labour Party
- Compliance Officer, The Labour Party
- Product Delivery Team Leader, Inspiring Learning
Sophie Kyprianou
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2023
Career history
- Senior Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Investigator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Supervisor, Citizens Advice
Sophie Mitchell
Ombudsman
Appointed July 2016
Career history
- Executive Adviser to the Ombudsman Panel, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Executive Adviser, Chief Executive's Office, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
Sophie Wilkinson
Ombudsman
Appointed January 2017
Career history
- Team Manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Customer Services Manager, Egg Banking Plc
- Multi-site Manager, MacQueen
Staci Rowland
Ombudsman
Appointed September 2017
Career history
- Team Manager, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- Integrated Governance Manager, Private Healthcare
