MGM Adviser - Non Executive Profiles

WilliamProby Sir William Proby - Chair
Sir William was elected as a Non Executive Director of the Society in July 2006. He became Chair in December 2007. He has a strong background in the city having started his career as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse & Co., moving on to Morgan Grenfell & Co. where he specialised in corporate tax planning and mergers and acquisitions.

During the 1980’s, Sir William became Chief Executive of MWP Ltd, an associate company of Morgan Grenfell. He has a long association and deep interest in the nation’s heritage having served as the President of the Historic Houses Association and as Chairman of The National Trust from 2003 to 2008. He was previously a member of The National Trust Finance Committee.

Sir William is a member of the Advisory Council of Tate Britain. Although Sir William is not an official member of the Audit, Investment and With-Profits Committees he regularly attends their meetings.

Laurie Edmans, CBE - Deputy Chair

Laurie has spent a distinguished career in financial services and he joined MGM Assurance as a non-executive Director in March 2008. He began his career with Cigna Group/Crusader Insurance, where he worked in administration, sales and general management before joining National Provident Institution in 1989, eventually becoming deputy chief executive. He then moved to Aegon UK, where he was director of corporate development until leaving to follow a ‘portfolio’ career in June 2006.

Laurie's non-executive appointments include deputy chair of CPA Holdings Ltd, Chairman of the Safe Home Income Plans group (SHIP), which represents 90 per cent of the UK’s equity release sector, and b-different, a leading financial services market research company. Laurie is Treasurer of the Family and Parenting Institute, trustee of an occupational pension scheme and of a school for autistic children. He was awarded the CBE for services to pensions reform in the 2006 New Year’s Honours List. Laurie was also a member of the Thoresen Review Team .commissioned by HM Treasury to consider the feasibility of delivering a national approach to generic financial advice.

Laurie is a former board member of the Pensions Regulator and a former member of the Association of British Insurers Life Insurance Management Council.

Committee Membership:

Chair of Remuneration and Nominations Committee, Member of Audit Committee, With Profits Committee and Risk Committee

Brian Harrison

Brian has over 30 years experience as a life and pension actuary and has Brian has strengths in risk management, with profits and Defined benefit pensions.

Brian began his career as an actuary at The Gresham Group before moving to Friends Provident where his actuarial and finance roles included Chief Actuary, Actuarial Function Holder, With Profits Actuary and Finance Director (Life & Pensions).

Brian retired from Friends Provident in December 2009 but remains a trustee of the Friends Provident Pension Scheme where he chairs the Risk and Investment Committee. Brian is also a member of the With Profits Committees of Friends Life Limited, Friends Life Assurance Limited, Friends Provident Life Assurance Limited and Friends Provident Pensions Limited and is Chairman of the With Profits Committee of the Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited.

Committee Membership:

Chair of Risk Committee, Member of Investment Committee and With Profits Committee

Isabel Hudson

Isabel has nearly 30 years experience in the insurance sector, having worked for Eureko BV in Paris as Chief Financial Officer before joining Prudential UK to become Executive Director. In 2006, she also set up Synesis Life – a specialist annuity and pensions buy-out life insurance company.

Isabel is currently a non executive director of the QBE Insurance Group, Phoenix Group Holdings Limited and is on the Board of The Pensions Regulator. She is also a member of the With Profits Committee of Standard Life Assurance and chairs the Business Development Board of disability charity, Scope. In November 2011 she was appointed as Chairman of the National House Building Council.

Committee Membership:

Chair of Audit and Budget Committee, Member of Investment Committee and Remuneration and Nominations Committee

Jim Roberts

Jim is a qualified Actuary and has more than 30 years experience in the life insurance industry. He spent 26 years at Skandia Group including positions as Appointed Actuary, Finance Director and, from 1992 to 2006, Group Investment Director. He has substantial experience of investment management and in particular the retail investment market.

He is currently a non-executive director of Sarasin & Partners LLP which operates a broad range of institutional, charity, private client and retail products and an adviser to Simply Biz, a broker service. He is also Chairman of both Verbatim Investment Management and Insynergy Investment Management.

Committee Membership:

Chair of the Board Investment Committee.

Other Board Roles:

Mike Arnold - Chair of With Profits Committee

A qualified Actuary, Mike spent more than years 30 years with Milliman (previously Hymans Robertson), one of the leading actuarial practices in the UK. He focused on the provision of consulting services to life assurance companies and had substantial experience as acting as the independent actuary on a number of demutualisations and reconstructions of insurance companies and life assurance funds.

Mike has acted as Chair of the International Association of Consulting Actuaries (1994-96), Vice President Institute of Actuaries (1997-99) and Chairman of the Association of Consulting actuaries (2000-2002).
He is also a non executive director of Old Mutual plc and Scottish Equitable Policyholders Trust Limited and a member of the With Profits Committee of Prudential Assurance Company Limited.

Mike served as an independent non executive director of the Society from 28 May 2004 to October 2009. He was appointed as a member of the With Profits Committee of the Society in 2004 and became Chairman in January 2009.