Who we are

Chloe Bowes

Acting Finance Director

Chloe was appointed Acting Finance Director in April 2018, having previously been the Assistant Director of Finance – Retail and Reporting since 2015. She is responsible for the financial strategy and financial management of NS&I and leads on the analysis of data to produce insights regarding our extensive retail customer base.

Chloe has over 10 years’ experience of working in public sector finance including working in the NHS and local government. Immediately prior to joining NS&I, Chloe worked as the Deputy Director of Finance for a Mental Health NHS Trust. She originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, specialising in public sector audit.

Chloe has a degree in Archaeology and Chemistry from Exeter University and also holds a master’s degree in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Bradford.

2016-17 Salary:
n/a

Paul Habershon

Interim Director of IT and Change

Paul was appointed Interim IT and Change Director in March 2018, to establish and lead this new Directorate to increase the focus on and impact of IT and business change across the business.

He is responsible for realising the NS&I’s goals through the delivery of aligned IT strategies and the rolling programme of business-sponsored change. He and his Directorate necessarily work closely with Atos, from operational delivery through enterprise architecture.

Prior to working at NS&I, Paul has defined and delivered global IT and Business transformation programmes in telecommunications, financial services and public sectors with a key focus on value delivery. As a Consulting Director in Fujitsu he was responsible for numerous interventions defining IT, Business change and Outsourcing strategies.

Prior to his time at Fujitsu he worked for global IT and consultancy companies taking responsibility for their largest and most complex client engagements. Paul started his career as a graduate trainee at Lloyds Bank.

2016-17 Salary: 
n/a

Dax Harkins

Business-to-Business Director

Dax is responsible for the development and delivery of the business-to-business strategy. His accountabilities include the management of existing clients, winning and transitioning new clients.

A joint honours degree graduate of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Dax has worked in financial services for over 20 years. Starting his career in sales, Dax quickly progressed into various marketing roles, with a focus on product development, customer management and customer experience.

In 2003, Dax joined NS&I and moved from marketing in 2011 to Programme Director for the retender of the NS&I outsourcing contract. After successfully awarding the contract and ensuring a smooth transition, Dax was appointed to the board in 2014 as Business-to-Business Director and became an Institute of Directors-accredited Chartered Director in 2018.

2016-17 Salary:
£105,000-£110,000
 

Gareth Headon

Acting People and Strategy Director

Following Sarah Tebbutt’s appointment as Acting Risk Director, Gareth was appointed as Acting Director, People and Strategy. He leads a range of corporate functions including strategy, communications, market research and insight, workplace, culture and human resources. Gareth also chairs the Conduct Committee at NS&I and is responsible for the Senior Managers Regime.

Previously, Gareth was Assistant Director, Communications and Strategy. Gareth joined NS&I in 2008 initially as Head of Media and then Head of Communications leading on all internal and external communications activity.

Prior to NS&I, Gareth spent six years with Eurostar where he worked across corporate and consumer PR and government relations. He was part of the team that launched Eurostar’s high speed rail services from St Pancras International in 2007. Gareth also worked for two years in Which? magazine’s press office and began his career at a PR agency working with clients in the technology sector.

2016-17 Salary:
n/a

Mark Keene

Acting Partnership Director

As Acting Partnership Director, Mark is responsible for the delivery of the NS&I outsourcing business model and the relationship with the Agency’s key partner Atos, including service delivery, commercial and change assurance as well as procurement.

Mark joined NS&I in 2005 and has undertaken a variety of roles in relation to the management of the relationship with NS&I’s key partners, in particular overseeing operational delivery and assurance during a period of significant change and growth for NS&I.

Mark has over 30 years’ experience in procurement, relationship and operational management. Prior to joining NS&I, he held a number of senior procurement and commercial roles in London Underground and the Home Office/Police Service, including negotiation and management of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and service contracts in a wide range of categories, including IT and communications, energy and consultancy. He is a graduate of the University of Southampton with a BSc in Politics and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.

2016-17 Salary: 
£65,000-£70,000 (£110,000-£115,000 annualised equivalent)

Sarah Tebbutt

Acting Risk Director

Following Peter Cornish’s retirement, Sarah was appointed as Acting Director of Risk. She was previously Director of People and Strategy. Sarah oversees the management of legal and regulatory compliance for NS&I as both a financial services organisation and a government body in a way which is consistent and compliant with the requirements of regulators, auditors and central government, including compliance with the FCA regulations as they apply to NS&I. As Director of People and Strategy in 2017–18 she oversaw the development of the Inspire & Invest strategy, established NS&I’s Innovation Group, and NS&I’s Plan for Welcoming Diversity at Work.

Sarah Tebbutt joined NS&I in June 2013 after a 20-year career at HM Treasury, where she was responsible for Corporate Change, and before that, Debt and Reserves Management, working closely with NS&I, The Bank of England, the Debt Management Office and the Royal Mint. Prior to those roles she worked in a Ministers’ office and as a negotiator at the Cabinet Office, European Council and World Trade Organisation.

Sarah studied Genetics at Cambridge University and has an MBA from Imperial College London.

2016-17 Salary: 
£105,000-£110,000
 

Jill Waters

Retail Director

Jill was NS&I’s Acting Retail Director. Following an open recruitment exercise, Jill was appointed in the substantive position as Retail Director in March 2018 and is responsible for leading the development, management and growth of the Retail business on behalf of NS&I, which includes customer offer, marketing and sales, brand, product management, retail experience and complaints.

In her time at NS&I, Jill has also held the following roles: Head of Sales and Operational Delivery, Head of Digital Channels and Assistant Director for Retail.

In 2001, she joined NS&I from Yorkshire Electricity where she was responsible for the Customer and Sales Strategy for the newly developed privatised consumer utility markets. Prior to that Jill was an independent financial adviser, following many years at Norwich Union advising on pensions and life insurance.

Jill is a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the Institute of Finance Services (IFS) and Association of Business Psychology.

2016-17 Salary:
£105,000-£110,000

Ed Anderson

Independent Non-executive Chairman

Ed was appointed as a Non-executive Director on 1 February 2016 and was appointed Chairman on 1 January 2017.

Ed was Chairman of the Yorkshire Building Society from 2007 to 2015. He was Managing Director of Leeds Bradford Airport for 10 years and is currently Chairman of the Airport Operators Association (AOA). He is also a former President, and Chairman, of Leeds Chamber of Commerce and is a director of a number of other public and voluntary sector organisations in Yorkshire including being a member of the University of Leeds Council and chairing its Audit and Risk Committee.

Ed is an economics graduate and a qualified accountant. He is a former High Sheriff, and currently Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.

2016-17 Remuneration:  
£15,000-£20,000
 

Christopher Fisher

Independent Non-executive Director

Christopher was appointed as a Non–executive Director in March 2017.

He chairs the Marshall Scholarship Programme on behalf of the Foreign Office, serves as a Non-executive Director of SEGRO, the FTSE 100 property company, and is a senior adviser to Penfida, the corporate finance adviser to pension scheme trustees.

Until recently he served as chairman of Bank of Ireland UK, the financial services partner of the Post Office and the AA, and as President of the Council of the University of Reading. His previous appointments include senior roles with Lazard, KPMG and Penfida, and as a trustee of the Imperial War Museum.

2016-17 Remuneration:  
£0-£5,000 (£15,000-£20,000 annualised equivalent)

James Furse

Independent Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee

James was appointed as Non-executive Director in January 2012 and, having served his two terms of office during this financial year, his contract was extended exceptionally until 31 December 2018 to assist continuity due to the number of new appointments that were made to the Board during 2017.

Before joining the Board, James enjoyed a long career with the John Lewis Partnership, progressing through a series of roles to become a managing director within the retail operation and subsequently Director Credit Card Services. His final role with the John Lewis Partnership was as Managing Director of greenbee.com, now John Lewis Financial Services.

In 2013 he joined the board of Ageas UK as a Non-executive Director and is Chairman of its Remuneration Committee, and James has been the Non-executive Chairman of Pukka Herbs Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, since 2012.

2016-17 Remuneration:  
£15,000-£20,000

Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE

Independent Non-executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

Sharmila was appointed as a Non-executive Director in March 2017. Sharmila is Chief Executive of Wilton Park, an Executive Agency of the Foreign Office convening international policy discussions in areas such as peace, prosperity, defence and security.

Before this she was Chair of the Human Tissue Authority, the organisation that regulates the use of human organs and tissue for transplant and research and Director of External Affairs for the Medical Research Council. She is a Board Member of the British Medical Journal and also of Lifesight, a pensions master trust, and was for 12 years Chief Operating Officer of BBC New Media and Technology, the division that built and launched the iPlayer.

A biomedical scientist by background, Sharmila is also a chartered accountant. She read Physiological Sciences at Oxford University, and was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to Medical Research.

2016-17 Remuneration:  
£0-£5,000 (£15,000-£20,000 annualised equivalent)

Mario Pisani

HM Treasury representative

Mario was appointed to the board as HM Treasury’s representative on 1 April 2016.

Mario is Deputy Director, Debt and Reserves Management at HM Treasury. In his role he is responsible for advising on debt financing issues (both wholesale, working with the Debt Management Office, and retail, working with NS&I), managing the UK’s official reserves, and coinage policy. His team also has responsibility for a range of Bank of England issues (notes, market interventions and shareholder interest) as well as analysis of the public sector balance sheet. He sits on the Themes Subcommittee of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee on the Design of Coins, Medals, Seals and Decorations.

Since joining HM Treasury in 2005, Mario has worked on international issues, economic forecasting, macroeconomic policy and communications. During 2006 Mario was seconded to the Financial Times London. Between 2008 and 2011 he was Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Between 2013 and 2016 he represented HM Treasury at the G20 Framework Working Group. During 2014 he worked on the Referendum on Scottish Independence.

He is a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London. Mario holds degrees in Economics from the University of Kent and the University of Oxford, and is a qualified accountant.