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Bradford-based Vanquis Banking Group plc has announced the appointment of three new independent non-executive directors—Karen Briggs, Oliver Laird and Jackie Noakes—effective 27 March 2024.

Karen Briggs is a qualified accountant with over 30 years’ financial services and banking experience and has been a KPMG UK and FTI Consulting EMEA executive committee member and senior leader, with a focus on governance, risk and compliance.

She is a non-executive director of the Invictus Games Foundation Board; chair of the audit & risk committee and independent council member at Imperial College London; Strategic Adviser to Eversheds Sutherland International; and a NED and chair designate of the audit & risk committee at Chubb Underwriting Agencies Ltd.

Oliver Laird is an experienced CFO and non-executive director. He has extensive finance and regulatory experience in financial services, banking and manufacturing, having been CFO at Lookers plc and CFO of First Direct Bank. He previously held senior roles at Lloyds Banking Group and Co-Op Insurance Services.

Laird has held non-executive director roles with the British Council, Leeds University Union, a social housing provider and Beverley Building Society, where he currently chairs the audit & compliance committee.

Jackie Noakes is a senior executive with extensive experience in large-scale financial services and banking businesses, currently as chief operating officer of Phoenix Group and previously as group COO at Bank of Ireland. She also held senior roles at Legal & General and has been a non-executive director at One Family (the Family Assurance Friendly Society Ltd) and Bank of Ireland UK.

Sir Peter Estlin, chair of Vanquis Banking Group, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Karen, Oliver and Jackie to the board. Their wealth of expertise complements the board’s skill set, as it supports the group through business and culture change, whilst delivering responsible lending to its customers.”

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