The Personal Finance Society, which has 36,000 individual members, has today named NFU Mutual’s Nick Turner as its new President for 2016/17.

Mr Turner takes over from Brendan O’Ciobhain, who has left the board after completing a 12-month rotation as president of the professional body. The leadership changes were formalised at the Personal Finance Society’s Annual General Meeting today. Mr Turner has more than 30 years’ experience working in financial services, having held a number of strategy, sales and marketing-related roles at AXA Wealth.

The Personal Finance Society board changes approved at today’s AGM were:

Director resignations
Brendan O’Ciobhain
David Ingram

Director appointments
Sarah Lord (Member Director)
Adam Owen (Member Director)

Director reappointments
Cathi Harrison (Member Director)
Jonathan Rees (Lay Director)

In 2013, Mr Turner joined as sales and agency director at NFU Mutual, where he oversees more than 100 financial advisers, 20 Paraplanners and more than 600 general insurance agents across the NFU Mutual network. Mr Turner joined the society’s board in 2011 and was made vice president last year.

Personal Finance Society chief executive Keith Richards welcomed Mr Turner’s appointment, and paid tribute to the society’s outgoing directors. He said: “Nick brings tremendous experience and enthusiasm to the role, and I’m looking forward to working closely with him over the next 12 months, during a time of significant and exciting change for both the advice profession and the society.”

He added: “I would like to thank past presidents Brendan O’Ciobhain and David Ingram, who have provided great leadership and made outstanding contributions while serving as directors over the past six years.”

Mr O’Ciobhain and Mr Ingram will be replaced on the society’s board by Killik & Co partner Sarah Lord and Sense Network head of learning and development Adam Owen.

Mr Turner said: “I am honoured to be taking over from Brendan during a period of significant change and reform to our profession, and as the important role of the society continues to develop. We will continue to engage with our members, regulators and policy makers, in order to help develop a marketplace in which consumers have access to reliable advice from professional and passionate advisers.”