The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has announced the appointment of Rebecca McNeil as the new chair of the Association.

She will succeed Richard Jones, who has held this post since 2017, on 30 November.

McNeil (pictured) is currently CEO at Close Brothers Retail and was previously CEO at Close Brothers Motor Finance. Her industry experience includes senior roles in Barclays as managing director of the asset finance division, COO for Barclays Business and managing director of product for all business and corporate lending. She has also worked at GE Money and AMEX.

Jones said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed chairing the FLA over the last 4 years, in particular through the recent challenges we have faced into as an industry. I’m delighted to be handing over the reins to Rebecca, her knowledge of FLA markets and her insights on the challenges facing lenders position Rebecca well. I wish Rebecca every success in helping the FLA steer through its next chapter, including the challenges and opportunities of Net Zero.

McNeil said: “I’m honoured to be joining the FLA Board. The Association is a formidable advocate for our industry because of its broad membership – that expertise will be vital as we seek the necessary regulatory reform to improve our business environment so that we can ultimately drive good customer outcomes across everything we do.”

Stephen Haddrill, director general of the FLA, added: “On behalf of the board and the FLA staff, I would like to thank Richard for his service during the last four years. He has provided strong leadership and insight to the Association throughout his tenure and particularly through the pandemic. We are all delighted Rebecca will be our chair and look forward to working with her.”