Cirencester Friendly has appointed Janice Banks and Marian Evans as non-executive directors.

Banks has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry and spent a large part of her career working for Nationwide Building Society where she held a number of roles, including department head for Member Service, Retail, Communications, HR, Compliance and Company Secretariat.

She has also worked as an investment manager and since 2009 has been an independent consultant providing CEO services and transformational change in the charitable sector.

Evans (pictured), a Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) accredited practitioner, currently serves as a director at Thomas Carroll Group leading the Special Risks division. Prior to that she spent 13 years with NFU Mutual where she was one of the youngest women in the history of the organisation to be appointed sales manager. In that post she was responsible for 16 regional offices.

Both Banks and Evans join the board with immediate effect.

Paul Hudson, chief executive at Cirencester Friendly, said: “Janice and Marian both have a strong financial services background and, in particular, considerable experience of working for mutual organisations like Cirencester Friendly.

“Their expertise and fresh perspective will be invaluable as we look to build on the services that we provide to our members.”

Banks said: “Having spent a substantial part of my career working for a building society, I have seen first-hand the way that mutuals keep their members at the heart of everything they do.

“I am excited to be working as part of the Cirencester Friendly team to keep our award winning products relevant in today’s changing society.”

Evans added: “Cirencester Friendly is such a proud and historic organisation, yet also very forward thinking. I am looking forward to supporting the development of an established and award winning proposition.”