Money Advice Service hires Charles Counsell as chief executive

Counsell will join on 5 June 2015, with Caroline Rookes continuing as chief executive until he joins.

Money Advice Service hires Charles Counsell as chief executive

The Money Advice Service has hired Charles Counsell as chief executive from The Pensions Regulator.

Counsell will join on 5 June 2015, with Caroline Rookes continuing as chief executive until he joins.

He is executive director and a board member of The Pensions Regulator, where he has played a significant role in the introduction of automatic enrolment into workplace pensions.

Andy Briscoe, chair of the Money Advice Service, said: “I am delighted that Charles Counsell will be joining us as CEO.

“I believe he is ideally qualified to continue the successful delivery of the Money Advice Service’s work across the UK, and to manage the transition to the new Single Financial Guidance Body proposed by government.

“Charles has a wealth of experience in a number of key areas.”

He added: “He is passionate about tackling financial capability, understands the challenges surrounding crisis debt advice, and combines this with an excellent track record in managing complex transition projects.

“He is also very experienced in managing complex stakeholder relationships and is well-known and respected within government and the sectors we engage with.”

Counsell said: “Making sure people have easy access to the guidance they need to steer through critical financial issues is very important to the UK, and I am both honoured and excited to have the chance to build on the Money Advice Service’s work so far.

“My experience of guiding organisations though periods of profound change will I’m sure be invaluable as we move towards establishing the new single financial guidance body.”

Counsell was awarded an OBE in the 2017 New Year’s honours for services to workplace pension reform.