The Secretary of State has appointed four new Commissioners to the Gambling Commission.
Terry Babbs, Brian Bannister, Jo Hill and Sir Martin Narey have been appointed by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as Commissioners of the Gambling Commission for five years from 30th April 2020.
Terry Babbs
Terry Babbs’ career spans the private and public sectors. His executive career was in regulation, international trade and supply chain management with Tesco plc and he has served on and chaired a number of international organisations in these fields. His subsequent non-executive career includes two terms on the Legal Services Board where he also chaired their Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. He is currently vice chair of the Investment Committee of Oxfam’s Enterprise Development Programme and a non-executive director of HMRC’s Valuation Office Agency. Terry is also the Senior Independent Director at the General Dental Council and chair of its Finance and Performance Committee.
Brian Bannister
Brian Bannister is currently the Executive Director for Strategic Insight and Influence at The Law Society of England and Wales. Brian joined from KPMG where he served for seven years as Global Head of Communications, with responsibility for the network’s global media and external profile as well as internal communications for more than 200,000 partners and staff. Prior to KPMG Brian was PwC’s UK Director of Communications for six years, leading media relations, digital, internal communications and public affairs. Previously Brian was PwC’s UK Director of Public Affairs with responsibility for relations with Government, regulators and other stakeholders and was a member of PwC’s European and Global PwC Public Affairs Boards. He holds an Honours and Masters Degree in Political Science.
Jo Hill
Jo Hill is Executive Director of Strategy and Risk at The Pensions Regulator. She is responsible for Corporate Strategy, the Regulatory model, Risk Management Framework and Data and Analysis.
Jo was previously Director of Market Intelligence, Data and Analysis at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) accountable for the creation and delivery of the FCA’s approach to data and analysis, Sector Views (common view of regulatory risk) and Consumer Agenda.
Prior to her appointment as Director of Market Intelligence, Data and Analysis, Jo held a number of roles across the FCA and Financial Services Authority in strategy, supervision, authorisations and enforcement, as well as roles in the banking and insurance sectors. Jo is also a Trustee of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.
Sir Martin Narey
Sir Martin Narey became Director General (Chief Executive) of the Prison Service (England and Wales) in 1998 and led prisons for seven years and prisons and the probation service for three. He was the recipient of The UK Chartered Institute of Management’s annual Gold Medal for Leadership. He was the first public sector recipient of this single annual award for ten years. He resigned from the Civil Service in 2005 to become Chief Executive of Barnardo’s. He has subsequently advised the government about children’s social care and has published a number of reports about the care system. He is Chair of My Foster Family; Chair Designate of The Sage (a music venue on Tyneside) and a NED on the board of Unilink Ltd. He is a visiting Professor at a number of Universities.
These roles are remunerated at £295 per day. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments, the process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Government’s Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared. This is defined as holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Neither Terry Babbs, Brian Bannister, Jo Hill or Sir Martin Narey have declared any activity.