A NEW Chair of the Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance has been announced.

The Diocese of Oxford has announced the appointment of Sir Hector Sants as the new Chair of the Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance (ODBF) succeeding the Revd Canon John Tattersall LVO.

Sir Sants will work with the ODBF and Diocesan senior management overseeing the financial strategy, annual budgets, Parish Share, and assets and investments of one of the largest dioceses in the Church of England.

He joins the OBDF with more than 30 years’ experience in financial services and regulation including serving as the CEO of the Financial Services Authority and the European CEO of Credit Suisse. He also brings experience in non-executive roles in the public and charitable sector after retiring from full time work in 2013. This includes Chairing the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings.

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He is taking on this new position alongside his other roles as Chair of the Money and Pensions Service, Vice Chair of the Turville Parish Council, Chair of the Audit Committee and Trustee at St Mellitus Theological College, and Trustee of the Just Finance Foundation.

Revd John Tattersall will remain as Chair until the end of December and Hector will begin this role on 1 January 2022.

Speaking on his appointment, Sir Hants said: “It is a great privilege to be appointed as Chair of the ODBF. Thank you to the outgoing Chair, Revd Canon John Tattersall, for his leadership and hard work in this role over the past number of years.

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“I am looking forward to getting out into the parishes across the diocese to meet with and listen to people and to understand what the challenges are in their contexts. Having been a resident in the diocese for over 35 years, I am delighted to be joining the Board in this role to help the diocese to continue to flourish and grow as a Christian community which enhances the life of all those within it.”

The outgoing Chair, the Revd Canon John Tattersall LVO, shared his thanks and said: "It has been a great pleasure to serve as Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance over the past eight years and to support diocesan mission and ministry through so many challenges and opportunities.

He added: "I have enjoyed working with you all. I am delighted that Sir Hector is to be my successor and I wish him well in this fascinating and challenging role.”

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