The Board of the Financial Ombudsman Service has appointed Jenny Simmonds as permanent CEO 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.
They have led the agency through a significant period of change, working with the Government and the Financial Conduct Authority to develop and implement a range of reforms to the UK compensation system.
Since taking on these roles on an interim basis, digital improvements have been made, with the rollout of online portals for businesses and consumers and an improved online complaints form.
The FOS has also introduced charges for professional representatives to refer cases and revised the standard interest rate applied to some of the judgments it makes.
The agency has also consulted on proposals to modernize the compensation structure for businesses to better reflect the work done on complaints.
The FOS also announced that the recruitment process for a permanent chair is expected to start soon.
This appointment is made by the FCA, with the approval of HM Treasury. Liam Coleman will remain in the interim post until this process is completed.
FOS interim chairman Coleman said: “Jenny and James have provided strong leadership during a period of significant change, delivering improvements to operations and timeliness and making proposals to transform the organisation.”
Simmonds added: “It is an honor to lead this organization and I am proud of everything we have achieved together over the past year. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues to improve our service to customers.”
Meanwhile, Dipple-Johnstone commented: “We provide an essential service and it is a privilege to be appointed Chief Ombudsman. The commitment of our colleagues across the organization gives me great confidence as we continue to modernize our service and strengthen the impact we have on consumers and businesses.”