Scottish Friendly has announced the appointment of John McGuigan as its new chair. McGuigan takes over from David Huntley, who has served on the board since 2013 and as chair for the past four years. The mutual insurer has also welcomed Mai Fenton and Olive Gaughan as new non-executive directors, strengthening its leadership team.
John McGuigan brings extensive leadership experience to his new role, having previously held senior positions at Phoenix, Telefonica, and NHS 24. He is also the current chair of Scottish Financial Enterprise and Scottish Rugby Ltd, and earlier this year took on the role of chair of Faculty at Merryck&Co. His expertise is expected to drive Scottish Friendly towards its goal of becoming the UK’s leading mutual insurer.
McGuigan commented on his new role, saying: “I look forward to fulfilling the role as chair and using my knowledge and experience to help the society continue to grow from strength to strength for our customers. Scottish Friendly has a bright future ahead and I am excited to be part of that.”
Fenton and Gaughan bring a wealth of experience from the financial services sector. Fenton, with a strong background in direct-to-customer marketing and e-commerce, currently serves on the board of Henderson International Income Trust plc and is a director of How And When. Gaughan, an experienced actuary, serves on the board of Canada Life Reinsurance Ireland and is a member of the Pensions Council in Ireland.
Fenton expressed her enthusiasm about joining Scottish Friendly: “I’m excited to join Scottish Friendly to support the continued growth of the brand in the market. Being part of a leading, customer-centric financial mutual aligns perfectly with my values.”
Gaughan also shared her anticipation about her new role: “I’m looking forward to joining the Scottish Friendly Board and also working closely with the Actuarial and Investment teams, to help the business continue to drive its ambition of ensuring our customers get the best outcomes to support their financial future.”
