Voted for
by our members
(aka our customers).

Appointed to the Board in August 2022 as Board Chair and Independent Non-Executive Director.

Peter has served in both executive and non-executive roles in the regulated environment and brings with him a strong background in leadership. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession and has taken the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.

Peter is currently the Chair of the Dudley Building Society.

Being a Chartered Accountant by profession, Peter has worked at Ernst & Young and Kidsons. Peter is the former Non-Executive Chair at Co-operative Insurance. Former Non-Executive Director of Q-Metric, The Chartered Insurance Institute, Keoghs, AXA PPP and AXA Art. He has held senior executive positions as Group Chief Executive for the UK General Group of businesses; Chief Executive of AXA Insurance and Managing Director of e-commerce at Lloyd’s Banking Group and Planning and Strategy Director at Lloyds Retail Bank.

Appointed to the Board in September 2016 and as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director in July 2023.

Helen brings a wealth of experience from the life and pensions industry. She is highly regarded for her astute commercial acumen coupled with her extensive leadership, operations and stakeholder management expertise.

Helen is currently Chief Pensions Officer to the Universities Superannuation Scheme and Trustee to the Legal & General Master Trust.

Helen spent many successful years at global insurer Aegon UK, where her roles included Director of Banks, Partnerships Director and Head of International Sales. Helen has also worked with a broad range of diverse financial organisations, including Fintech, True Potential and Auto-enrolment specialist at Now Pensions. Helen is passionate about providing high-quality, value-for-money financial products and services which offer great outcomes for customers.

Appointed to the Board in September 2015 as Independent Non-Executive Director.

Steve is a qualified Actuary who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience within the Life and Health Insurance industry to the board. He has held multiple senior management roles in the Life Assurance industry.

Steve serves as the Chair Non-Executive Director of Safe World Insurance Group (UK) LTD where he was appointed to their Board in June 2019.

Steve has had several senior roles across the financial services and life assurance industry. These include being Managing Director for Protection at Friends Life, a FTSE100 company, where he led the integration of the protection businesses of AXA, Friends Provident and Bupa. Priorto this, he was Chief Executive of Bupa Protection and has been Chair of The Investment and Life Assurance Group, a member of the ABI Protection Committee, and twice Chair of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Healthcare Conference. He was also Non-Executive Director of Pacific Life Re until January 2021.

Keith was appointed to the Board in August 2019 as Independent Non-Executive Director.

Having extensive experience across the financial services sector, Keith has particular expertise in Business Strategy, Corporate Governance, Sales and Marketing, and Business Acquisition.

Keith is currently a Non-Executive Director of General Aviation Safety Council and Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots.

Keith has held previous roles as Deputy Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Allied Dunbar Assurance, Chief Operating Officer of Zurich (UK, International and Ireland) Life, and as Non-Executive Director of Quilter Financial Planning. Keith suffers from dyslexia but has never let it hold him back. He started his career selling life insurance door-to-door, working his way up to Deputy Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Allied Dunbar Assurance.

Kelvin was appointed to the Board in August 2023 as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

Kelvin has over 20 years in the financial services industry. He has expertise in business strategy, executive coaching, and acts as an advisor to established and start-up firms.

Kelvin currently holds Non-Executive Director roles with Tune Protect Group, one of Asia’s largest travel insurers, its Middle East joint venture TPEMEIA, and the Teachers Building Society.

Kelvin has held a number of roles within his 20-plus years of time in the financial services industry including Retail Bank Strategy Director at Lloyds Banking Group, the Group Strategy Director at LV and has also launched businesses in personal loans and direct-to-consumer life insurance. His other areas of experience include being an executive coach.

Suzanne was appointed to the Board in August 2023 as Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee.

Suzanne has over 30 years of internal audit and risk management experience in the financial services industry. She is a qualified and skilled chartered accountant who is also a chartered member of the Chartered Securities and Investment Institute.

Suzanne is Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair at HBL UK Bank and at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Prior to joining The Exeter, Suzanne was the Chief Internal Auditor at Peel Hunt, a UK Investment Bank, and has held senior roles at the Bank of England along with several other financial institutions including Chief Internal Auditor at the Yorkshire Building Society.

Donald was appointed to the Board in May 2024 as Independent Non-Executive Director, having over 20 years’ experience in financial services, and has held several roles with the UK Life insurance arm of Corebridge Financial, formerly AIG Life & Retirement, as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Actuary. Donald has a strong commercial focus as well as strategic and financial acumen.

Donald’s other appointments include Tyndale House, Group Risk Services Limited and AIG Life Limited. Group Risk Services Limited and AIG Life Limited will cease by the end of 2024. Donald has held positions within the financial service industry, including Aviva, Engage Mutual Assurance, Reinsurance Group of America, and HSBC, including the Chief Actuary role at HSBC Life. Donald was also a member of the Actuarial Profession Health and Care Board, a member of the CMI Assurances Committee, and a former visiting lecturer at Bayes Business School (University of London).

Isobel was appointed Chief Executive in April 2021.

Isobel has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. She is passionate about the vital role the protection and health industry provides in ensuring that people have the financial resilience to withstand some of the worst things life can throw our way. Isobel has a drive for excellent customer service and identifies its value in ensuring great outcomes.

Isobel is a fellow of the Royal Society of Art and a Trustee of the Lusitano Breed Society GB.

Isobel has a wealth of experience in the protection and pension industry having held several senior positions at both Irish Life and Royal London. A move to Royal London allowed Isobel to build her passion for Customer Services where she held a number of senior positions and successfully integrated the customer service functions of Royal London and United Assurance Group. In 2014 Isobel was appointed Chief Executive of their Intermediary Division, where she created and implemented strategy for both the protection and pension business, leading them through a period of significant success.

John was appointed to the Board as Finance Director in April 2019.

John has spent his entire career in Life and Health insurance, starting immediately upon graduation from Heriot-Watt University. He brings his careerlong experience to our board and is a qualified actuary.

John’s career began in the Life and Health Industry where after qualifying as an actuary in 2004, he spent 10 years working in a number of positions in Royal London’s protection business including Head of Pricing, Head of Actuarial, and Head of Products. Prior to joining The Exeter, John worked at Scottish Widows and as General Manager at Omnilife. He joined the Society in February 2017 as Chief Actuary and Risk Officer.

Steve was appointed as Director of Distribution and Marketing in July 2017.

Steve has spent his entire career in the Financial Services sector. He has a degree in Economics and Accountancy from the University of Leeds and brings to our Board his experience across the Protection, General Insurance, Mortgage and Healthcare markets.

Steve’s lifelong career in the Financial Services sector began with the graduate training scheme at Lloyd’s Bank. Subsequently, a 20-year long tenure with Legal & General followed in a variety of roles across the General Insurance and Protection divisions, culminating in Steve heading up the Intermediary Distribution across both divisions.

Michael was appointed as Executive Commercial Director in October 2023.

Michael has over 30 years’ experience in the Insurance, Asset Management, and Wealth Management industries. He is a qualified actuary and has held numerous senior positions throughout his career.

Michael currently holds a Non-Executive Director role at Glasgow Clyde College.

Michael joined The Exeter from KPMG where he served as Director in the Insurance Consultant practice. Michael has previously held roles as Customer & Innovations COO and Customer Distributions CFO at M&G, a Portfolio Actuarial and Operations Director at Prudential Assurance, in addition to time at fellow mutual Scottish Friendly where he was Actuarial Director. He has previously held Non-Executive Director roles at M&G Wealth Advice LTD, Prudential International Assurance, and was a member of Prudential’s Independent Governance Committee.

Willie is the Medical Director and was appointed to the Board in April 2005.

Willie qualified in Medicine from the University of Bristol in 1982 and has an extensive research career focusing mainly on improving cancer diagnosis.

Willie is the Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics at the University of Exeter Medical School. Willie has also been the Chief Medical Officer for Liverpool Victoria for over twenty years.

Willie has a rich career in medical research and has received several accolades during his distinguished career. He has won Research Paper of the Year twice and has written two textbooks, one on orthopaedics and the second on cancer, the latter winning a British Medical Association prize. He was the clinical lead for a NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guideline NG12, on an investigation of suspected cancer, and sits on several Department of Health Committees relevant to cancer. In 2019 Willie was awarded a CBE in the New Year's Honours list for his ‘services to improving early cancer diagnosis’.