Royal London has appointed Louise Gelling as group chief risk officer, subject to regulatory approval.

Gelling (main picture, inset) will join the mutual in September and succeed James McCourt, who is retiring at the end of 2026.

She has more than 25 years’ experience across risk, compliance, regulatory change and business transformation.

Gelling most recently served as Interim Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at M&G, where she reported to the Chief Executive Officer and sat on its Group Executive Committee.

GLOBAL RISK EXPERIENCE

Before joining M&G, Gelling spent eight years at UBS and held senior positions including Global Head of Operational Risk.

She was responsible for areas including cyber security, information security, third-party oversight, data and privacy risk.

Gelling began her career at Deloitte, spending 15 years in audit and advisory roles focused on banking and capital markets before becoming a Director in Audit and Assurance.

She is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and holds a degree in Maths and Management Studies from the University of Nottingham.

Barry O’Dwyer, CEO at Royal London, said: “I am pleased to welcome Louise to Royal London as our new Group Chief Risk Officer.

“She brings extensive leadership experience in risk, compliance and regulatory change, and will play an important role as we continue to deliver for advisers, customers and clients.”

Gelling added: “I’m really pleased to be joining Royal London. Its customer-owned model is a real strength, and I’m looking forward to playing my part in helping the business continue to grow in a way that is responsible and focused on delivering good outcomes for customers.”

O’Dwyer also thanked McCourt for his leadership and contribution to Royal London ahead of his retirement.