Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE and Christopher Fisher appointed Non-executive Directors of NS&I

Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE and Christopher Fisher have been appointed with immediate effect.  Sharmila Nebhrajani will chair NS&I’s Audit & Risk Committee, succeeding Ed Anderson. Ed Anderson was appointed NS&I chairman in January after serving as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of NS&I’s Audit & Risk Committee from February 2016.

Non-executive members of NS&I’s Board ensure a sound strategy is in place to meet the organisation’s remit of raising cost-effective debt financing for the Government. They also act as an external source of advice, have oversight of risk control and ensure NS&I’s links with its outsourcing partner, Atos, remain open and transparent.

Steve Owen NS&I’s Acting Chief Executive, said

“I am delighted to welcome Sharmila and Christopher to the NS&I Board. We look forward to drawing on their diverse and longstanding experience as non-executive and senior executives in order to drive excellent outcomes for the business and for our customers.”

Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE:

Sharmila Nebhrajani is Chairman of the Human Tissue Authority and also serves as Director of External Affairs at the Medical Research Council. She is a Non-Executive Director of the Pension Protection Fund and the British Medical Journal and a trustee of LifeSight, a pensions’ master-trust. Her previous experience includes roles as CEO of the Association of Medical Research Charities and Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director at BBC Future Media & Technology. She is a chartered accountant and was awarded an OBE in 2014.

Christopher Fisher:

Christopher Fisher chairs the Marshall Commission, responsible for the Marshall Scholarship Programme, is a Non-Executive Director of SEGRO, the FTSE 200 property company, and is a senior adviser at Penfida, the corporate finance adviser to pension scheme trustees, where originally he was a senior partner.  Until last year he served as chairman of Bank of Ireland UK and as President of the Council of the University of Reading.  His previous appointments include roles with Lazard and KPMG, and as a trustee of the Imperial War Museum.

The current NS&I Board members are:

• Ed Anderson – Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Board
• Steve Owen  – Acting Chief Executive
• Peter Cornish – Director, Risk
• Dax Harkins – Director, B2B
• Jill Waters – Acting Director, Retail
• Rodney Norman – Director, Finance
• Mark Keene – Acting Director, Partnership
• Sarah Tebbutt – Director, People and Strategy
• James Furse – Non-executive Director
• Sharmila Nebhrajani  OBE – Non-executive Director
• Christopher Fisher– Non-executive Director
• Mario Pisani – HM Treasury Representative

Notes to Editors

1. Photographs of Sharmila Nebhrajani and Christopher Fisher are available on request.
2. NS&I is one of the largest savings organisations in the UK, offering a range of savings and investments to around 25 million customers who have invested over £135bn. All products offer 100% capital security because NS&I is backed by HM Treasury.
3. Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE and Christopher Fisher’s appointments as Non-executive Directors were made in accordance with the Code of Practice published by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
4. Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE and Christopher Fisher’s appointments were made on merit and political activity played no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Sharmila and Christopher have confirmed that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.