Meet our Directors
Non-Executive Directors
John Sinclair (63) - Chairman
Married with 5 children and 7 grandchildren, John was co-opted by the Board as a Non-Executive Director on 7 October 2010 and became Chairman in November 2010. He also chairs the Nomination Committee.
John is an Actuary by profession and was with Guardian Royal Exchange plc (GRE) from 1967 until its acquisition by Axa in 2000. He was appointed to GRE’s Executive in 1987 and to the main Board in 1990 as Group Executive Director for life operations worldwide, together with general business operations in the UK and Ireland. Prior to that, he also held senior management roles with GRE in finance, sales and marketing, IT and product development.
Most recently, John was Non-Executive Director at National Counties Building Society for ten years, Chairman for the last six years and continues as a Trustee of the Staff Pension Fund. John is also a Non-Executive Director of Genworth Life Style protection, Genworth Mortgage Insurance, GE Life Fund Management and a member of the With Profit Committee for Windsor Life and Barclays Life. He was also formerly a Director and Chairman of the Insurance Ombudsman Bureau, the forerunner of the Financial Services Ombudsman Bureau.
Prior to his recent move to Dorset, John had been a School Governor for over 25 years and Chairman for the past 6 years. In addition during the past 10 years he has been involved with various Charities including Chairman and Trustee of two Essex Hospices and Chairman and Trustee of an Essex Children’s Society caring for disadvantaged children.
John brings to the Board a wealth of experience of the insurance and financial services industry and commerce generally.
Jane Clarkson (54)
Jane Clarkson was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in June 2004. She is Deputy Chair and chairs the Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee. She has a background in financial services, specialising in marketing and regulation. In addition to her role with Teachers Assurance, Jane is a Non-Executive Group Board Director with Circle Anglia, one of the UK's largest housing associations. Jane is a magistrate and member of the South East Wiltshire Bench. She was a founder member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Regulated Activities Committee and is a member of the Institute of Risk Management. She has served previously as a Governor of a primary school.
Neil Foden (53)
Neil Foden was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in January 2009. In addition he is a member of the Investment Committee. Neil has been Head Teacher of a large North Wales comprehensive school for over fourteen years. He has held a number of positions within the NUT since 1983. He is a member of the NUT Executive and is also Chair of the Management Board of the NUT Training Centre at Stoke Rochford. He is a former president of the Welsh Secondary Schools’ Association. He has a very good understanding of the education system in Wales and a good understanding of that which operates in England.
Jerry Glazier (58)
Jerry Glazier was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in July 2006. He is Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee and the Pension Trustees. Jerry has taught in Essex for the last 35 years and has been a member of the National Executive of the NUT since 1984. He is also chair and director of the Steve Sinnott Foundation. Jerry is also General Secretary of the Essex and Southend Divisions of the NUT.
Pat O’Keeffe (66)
Pat O'Keeffe was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in July 2008. In addition he chairs the Investment Committee and is a member of the Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee. Pat is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. Pat worked in senior positions for life assurance companies in the UK and Europe for 25 years before becoming a partner of Bacon & Woodrow, a firm of consulting actuaries, and subsequently of Deloitte & Touche LLP. He retired in 2004. He was a member of the Council of the Institute of Actuaries for eleven years between 1994 and 2006 and is a former Treasurer of that organisation. In addition to his board responsibilities, he serves as the Independent Reviewing Director responsible for monitoring that the Society conducts its business in accordance with the statements in the Principles and Practices of Financial Management for the benefit of policyholders. He is currently a member of the Court and of the Audit Committee of the University of Bristol.
Gavin Hill (58)
Gavin Hill was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in November 2011. In addition he chairs the Investment Committee and is a member of the Audit and Compliance Committee and the Risk Committee. Gavin is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. A strong advocate of mutuality, Gavin has held a number of senior roles including Chief Executive (and prior to that Investment Director) of National Mutual Life Assurance Society, a mutual life office, for 14 years until 2002. He is currently Chief Investment Officer of the GEC 1972 Pension Plan which has some £3 billion of assets under management. He formerly held a number of roles with GE as Director and Chief Investment Officer of GE Pensions Ltd and GE Life Ltd, where he chaired the Investment Committee and With Profit Committee. He is currently a School Governor.
Executive Directors
David Furniss (50) – Chief Executive
David Furniss joined Teachers Assurance in June 2003. On 1 November 2003 he became Chief Executive and was appointed to the Board. Prior to that he had been General Manager of BMA Services, the financial services arm of the British Medical Association. David first entered financial services in 1983 and has held senior management roles at both the Medical Sickness Society Limited and Standard Life. He is a business graduate and chartered insurer. David is Chair of the Society’s Executive Committee and Director of the Society's subsidiary companies including Teachers Assurance Company Limited, Sovereign Unit Trust Managers Limited and Teachers Financial Services Limited.
Ian Blanchard (51) – Finance Director
Ian Blanchard joined Teachers Assurance in October 2008 and was appointed as a Board member in February 2009. He is also a member of the Investment Committee. Ian is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. He was formerly Group Actuary with Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society where he was With Profits Actuary for two with profits funds from 2004. Prior to that he was Chief Actuary at Crown Financial Management. Ian is a member of the Society's Executive Committee and is the Society's Actuarial Function Holder. He is also a Director of Teachers Assurance Company Limited, Sovereign Unit Trust Managers Limited and Teachers Financial Services Limited.
