OBIE appoints Henk Van Hulle as CEO

Mr Van Hulle joins from Post Office Ltd, where he has more than nine years’ experience in senior roles in innovation, including Managing Director of Digital Services and as Deputy CEO, Financial Services and Telecoms.

Mr Van Hulle brings a wealth of experience and is a proven business leader with a strong consumer focus. He has expertise in building and managing profitable businesses, both Blue Chip and Start-Ups, particularly in financial services, e-business, and information technology firms.

Mr Van Hulle’s appointment further strengthens the leadership and governance of OBIE. Towards the end of 2021 two independent non-executive directors, Barbara Ridpath and Jeremy Newman, were appointed to the OBIE Board. Both have already had a significant impact on strengthening the governance of the organisation in terms of their respective expertise and the independent scrutiny and oversight they provide.

As CEO, Mr Van Hulle will lead the OBIE executive team and provide strategic, financial, and operational leadership. He will work closely with the Chair and Trustee, Charlotte Crosswell, as well as the Executive Committee and Board to deliver and refine OBIE’s mission, as well as having primary responsibility for leading company operations and driving its overall strategy.

The OBIE has also appointed a new People and HR Director, Debbie Lombard. Mrs Lombard will focus on developing OBIE’s people proposition, and will lead on enhancing HR practices and workplace culture, ensuring these are fully understood and adopted across the organisation.

Charlotte Crosswell, who was appointed as Chair and Trustee of the OBIE in October 2021 welcomed Mr Van Hulle’s appointment. She said: “I am delighted that Henk is joining as CEO and believe his experience will be invaluable as we strengthen the leadership of OBIE. We have also recently appointed Debbie Lombard as OBIE’s People and HR Director to continue our work on HR practices and workplace culture. I remain wholly committed to making both immediate and ongoing changes, to strengthen OBIE’s governance and culture following the publication of the independent Alison White report and as we prepare for our next phase.”

Mr Van Hulle said: “I am delighted to be joining OBIE at this exciting time. The number of people using open banking continues to grow and as we complete the implementation phase of open banking, I want to see the benefits of it sustained and further developed throughout 2022 and beyond. At the same time, I am committed to working with Charlotte, the Board, and the rest of the management team to not only ensure we address legacy issues but also adopt a culture of continuous learning and improvement going forward. We want to ensure the OBIE of today, and whatever new entity we transition to remains a culturally progressive, inclusive, fit for purpose organisation.”