FOS appoints new Chief Executive and Ombudsman

The Financial Ombudsman Service  (FOS) board has announced it has appointed Jenny Simmonds as permanent Chief Executive Officer and James Dipple-Johnstone as permanent Chief Ombudsman.

The appointments of Simmonds and Dipple-Johnstone follow an open recruitment process led by the board earlier this summer. Both Simmonds and Dipple-Johnstone initially took up their roles on an interim basis in February 2025.

This appointment was made by the FCA, with HM Treasury approval. Liam Coleman will remain in the interim post until this process has completed.

FOS interim chair Coleman said “Jenny and James have provided strong leadership during a period of significant change, delivering improvements to operations and timeliness and driving forward proposals to transform the organisation.”

Simmonds said “It’s an honour to lead this organisation and I’m proud of everything we have achieved together over the past year. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with colleagues to improve our service for customers.”

Dipple-Johnstone said “We deliver a vital service and it’s a privilege to be appointed as Chief Ombudsman. The commitment of our colleagues across the organisation gives me great confidence as we continue modernising our service and strengthening the impact we have for consumers and businesses.”