The National Skills Academy for Financial Services has appointed Anthony Thomson as its new chairman.

He replaces the outgoing chairman Tony Vine-Lott, director general of TISA, who stands down from the position having chaired the Skills Academy for the past six years.

The National Skills Academy for Financial Services is a charity which seeks to ensure that the financial services employees have the right knowledge and skills to do their jobs.

Thomson launched Metro Bank in 2010, which was then the first new business to be granted a UK banking licence in over a century. He is also chairman of the Financial Services Forum, an independent membership organisation for senior executives with an interest in financial services.

Previously he co-founded City Financial Marketing in 1987 which became Europe’s largest financial services marketing and communications group.

Sylvia Perrin, CEO of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, said: “Anthony is a well-respected figure in financial services – his expertise is wide ranging and as an entrepreneur, with experience of setting up a number of financial services related companies, brings to the organisation a deep understanding of the issues affecting the industry and most importantly an acute awareness of the skills and personal attributes that its workforce needs in the 21st Century, and moreover, post the financial crisis.

“I look forward to working with him and I am confident that he will play a critical role in the organisations future.”

Thomson added: “I am honoured to have been appointed as a Chairman of this well respected organisation. Sylvia and my predecessor, Tony Vine-Lott, have done sterling work over the past few years and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Tony for everything he has done.

“The organisation faces a number of challenges and opportunities over the coming years, namely in developing funding steams from financial and professional serves firms and ensuring that the workforce has the right knowledge and skills to do their jobs. I look forward to helping set the strategic direction of this organisation over the coming years. Sylvia has an excellent team in place already and I look forward to helping them develop their skills and networks further.”