The Equity Release Council has made two senior appointments to head up a new risk, policy and compliance team.

This new division will be charged with enhancing current standards and ensuring the ERC delivers on its commitments on consumer protection. 

This team will provide an oversight function while developing information and recommendations to the ERC’s standards board and committees.

Kelly Melville-Kelly will lead this new division as head of risk, policy and compliance. Melville-Kelly has worked in financial services for over 20 years, working with both lenders and networks in the later-life lending sector. She has previously held regulated positions at Legal & General and Alliance & Leicester.

The ERC has also appointed Sue Read as risk, policy and compliance manager. Read has 30 years’ experience in the mortgage market, having worked as a BDM, underwriter, operations manager, compliance office and adviser across a number of firms and networks.

Equity Release Council chief executive Jim Boyd says: “These latest hires complement our professional capabilities and help to inject even greater pace into the Council’s member and consumer-focused initiatives.

“The creation of a Risk, Policy and Compliance team adds further weight to our role as a standards-setter in the later life sector.”