The OBIE appoints new CEO to provide strategic, financial and operational leadership

The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) has announced the appointment of Henk Van Hulle as the organisation’s first Chief Executive Officer. The creation of this new position was recognised in the CMA’s recently published updated governance arrangements for the OBIE, as part of a package of changes that deliver a strong and effective governance and management framework for the organisation.

Mr Van Hulle joins from Post Office Ltd, where he had 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 the 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 the 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 the OBIE. I would also like to warmly welcome Debbie Lombard as People and HR Director who will lead our work on HR practices and workplace culture. I remain wholly committed to making both immediate and ongoing changes, to strengthen the 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 the 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, and fit for purpose organisation.”

About Us

The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) is the entity set up by the CMA9 as ordered by the CMA in 2016 to deliver open banking. Its trading name is Open Banking Limited.

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

OBIE’s role is to:

• Enforce the obligations on the CMA9 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 Open Banking standards
• Create security and messaging standards
• Manage the 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.

For enquiries, please contact: CiceroOpenBankingPR@cicero-group.com, 020 7297 5965