Equity release trade body has appointed Chris Pond as chair of the SHIP Standards Board.

The appointment follows that of Nigel Waterson as chairman of SHIP and Pond will work closely with both Waterson and with Andrea Rozario, director general of SHIP.

Pond will have responsibility for the stewardship and continued implementation of the SHIP standards and consumer safeguards, such as the No Negative Equity Guarantee, that have formed the basis of the protection SHIP has provided to consumers since it was established in 1991.

SHIP says that as it evolves into an industry wide representative body for all stakeholders in the equity release industry, Pond and the SHIP Standards Board will have a “critical role in maintaining the integrity of the consumer protection that SHIP has delivered to date””. C