The OBIE welcomes Barbara Ridpath as an independent Non-Executive Director 

The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) is delighted to announce Barbara Ridpath has been appointed as an independent non-executive director (NED).

Barbara brings a wealth of professional, financial and regulatory experience to the organisation including roles at JP Morgan and the ratings agency S&P. Barbara is currently a non-executive director at Paragon Bank and Chair of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group.

Barbara’s appointment follows that of Jeremy Newman, who joined the OBIE board as an independent non-executive director in November. The appointment will support the wider reforms led by Chair and Trustee, Charlotte Crosswell, to improve corporate governance, provide independent oversight and transparency, stronger policies and controls, as well as support employee values, culture and wellbeing.

In addition to today’s announcement and in consultation with the CMA and CMA9, the OBIE has initiated an open recruitment process to appoint a CEO. It was agreed that the creation of a new CEO role for the OBIE will help the organisation deliver the transformation required by the independent investigation’s recommendations and help ensure a smooth transition to the future governance arrangements for open banking.

With the future governance of open banking in the UK to be determined in early 2022, the CEO role will be initially filled on a 12-month fixed term basis a will report to Charlotte Crosswell, OBIE Trustee and Chair. The CEO will primarily focus on strong leadership, change management, driving greater awareness and understanding of the benefits of open banking to consumers and SMEs.

Charlotte Crosswell, OBIE, Trustee and Chair: “I’m delighted to welcome Barbara to the OBIE as non-executive director. Her professional experience, particularly around regulatory reform, will significantly strengthen corporate governance, as we continue to address the findings and recommendations in Alison White’s independent report.”

Barbara Ridpath, OBIE, independent non-executive director:

“I am very pleased to join OBIE. The development of open banking is in the interest of consumers and SMEs, as well as demonstrating the UK’s leadership in the future of financial innovation. My experience lends itself well to providing strong governance support to Charlotte on the OBL Board, but also helping the OBIE as it transitions.”

OBIE has initiated an open recruitment process to hire for the CEO role through independent search agency Sapphire Partners who are specialists in fulfilling high-level public sector roles and known for supporting organisations to find diverse candidates.  For a copy of the role description please click here or email openbankingCEO@sapphirepartners.co.uk.

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For further information, please contact: press@openbanking.org.uk

About Us

The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) is the entity set up by the CMA in 2016 to deliver open banking. Its trading name is Open Banking Limited.

The OBIE is governed by the CMA and funded by the CMA 9 (Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, Barclays, Danske, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, Natwest Group and Santander). Its works with the CMA 9, as well as challenger banks, financial technology companies, third party providers and consumer groups. The OBIE’s role is to:

• Enforce the obligations on the CMA 9 under the CMA Order
• Design the specifications for the Application Programme Interfaces (APIs) that banks and building societies use to securely provide open banking
• Support regulated third party providers and banks and building societies to use the OBIE’s Open Banking Standards
• Create security and messaging standards
• Manage the OBIE’s open banking Directory which allows regulated participants like banks, building societies and third-party providers to enrol in open banking
• Produce guidelines for participants in the open banking ecosystem
• Set out the process for managing disputes and complaints