Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG), the UK membership organisation for ‘working together to improve the lives of people in debt’, has appointed Emma Lovell to its Board.
Emma took up the role of Chief Executive Officer at the Lending Standards Board (LSB) in April 2020, prior to which she was CEO of R3, the UK trade association for insolvency and restructuring professionals. Her past roles include posts in law firms on the South coast and in London, as well as working for a number of years at The Insolvency Service.
Her role on the MALG Board will be to approve the strategic direction of the organisation as recommended by MALG CEO Bob Winnington and team, overseeing its operation, finances, the work of committees, and the creation and monitoring of proper governance. She will join fellow MALG Board Members Craig Simmons of Clear Consultancy Services, Fiona Hoyle of Finance & Leasing Association, James Jones of Experian, John Fairhurst of Payplan, Peter Wallwork, Francis McGee, and StepChange CEO Vikki Brownridge who was appointed earlier this year.
Paul Smee, Chair of the MALG Board, says:
“It is fantastic to be ending 2024 with two new Board Members who are both CEOs of major institutions in the credit and debt sector. Emma will bring a new dimension from a lending perspective, helping us to build on MALG’s rapid growth in recent years which now needs to be consolidated and embedded, particularly when it comes to engagement with lenders.”
Emma Lovell added:
“Through my work with the LSB, I’ve seen first-hand some of the challenges customers face when seeking the right outcomes from the financial services sector. There are plenty of areas where financial services firms excel in getting their customers the support they need, but there remains a need to address persistent challenges. The work of organisations, like MALG or the LSB, in spreading good practice and sharing experiences, so that customers can receive good outcomes across the credit and debt sectors, is vital.”
MALG was established in 1987 to bridge the gap between debt advisers and creditors by creating an informal, non-judgemental forum with no commercial, regulatory, or political agenda. Members now include a diverse range of public, private and third sector organisations with an interest in matters relating to personal debt, from financial capability and lending, through to debt collection and money advice. They benefit from free and exclusive access to regular opportunities to debate issues, share best practice, network and learn from experts online and face-to-face including a fortnightly virtual ‘Friday Forum’, quarterly National Members Meetings, and an annual conference. There are also eight MALG Regional Groups across the UK who meet several times a year.
The LSB’s mission is to challenge financial services providers to deliver better outcomes for their customers, including consumers and SMEs.