This page contains short biographies of the Consumer Focus Board. To observe the highest standards of objectivity, integrity and transparency each Board member declares any interests relevant to their work with Consumer Focus and these are included below.
Lord Whitty
Was appointed Chair of Consumer Focus in July 2007. He was previously Chair of the National Consumer Council from 6 March 2006.
Lord Whitty has held the position of Minister for Transport in the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions and Minister for food, farming and sustainable energy in Defra, including the delivery of improvements to those in fuel poverty. He is currently a member of the Board of the Environment Agency, President of the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) and Chair of a CHP company.
Prior to going into the House of Lords in 1996, Lord Whitty worked in the aircraft industry and the civil service, with his main career in the trade union movement (working for the TUC and GMB) and the Labour Party. He served as General Secretary of the party from 1985 to 1994. During that period he was heavily involved in policy development on social and environmental issues, including access for low-income groups to public and private services.
He takes a strong personal interest in issues of sustainability, access to services for low-income groups (particularly for housing, education and transport, and financial services), and corporate accountability for social and environmental impacts on consumers and the wider community.
Anna Walker
Anna was Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission, the regulation body for the NHS and independent sector healthcare until March 2009 and is Chair of the Office of Rail Regulation from July 2009. She was previously Director General, Land Use and Rural Affairs at DEFRA from 2001 to 2003, and Director General, Energy Group at DTI from 1998 to 2001. She was Deputy Director General at OFTEL from 1993 to 1997.
Enid Rowlands
Enid Rowlands is an independent Member of the North Wales Police Authority. She is a Director of TARO Consultancy Ltd, and a National Trustee for Wales of the RNID. She is a former Chair of the National Council of Education and Training for Wales, and a former Member of the Ministerial Committee on Work-Life Balance. From 1999 to 2007 she was a Board Member of the S4C Broadcasting Authority.
Stephen Locke
Stephen Locke is a consultant specialising in consumer policy and regulation. Former roles include Director of Advertising and Sponsorship at the Independent Television Commission and Director of Research and Policy at Which? He was a Board Member of the National Consumer Council; a Board member of Phonepay Plus (formerly ICSTIS); an Independent Board Member of the Payments Council; and an Independent Board Member and trustee of the Internet Watch Foundation. He is also a Member of the Professional Standards Board of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Dame Suzi Leather
Dame Suzi Leather is Chair of the Charity Commission, and a past Chair of the School Food Trust, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and of the Exeter and District Community NHS Trust. She is also a past Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency.
Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs
Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs is Chief Executive of the Barrow Cadbury Trust. She was formerly Chief Executive and Company Secretary of the Runnymede Trust, and the Community Development Manager at English Partnerships. From 1990 to 1995 she was the Director of Corporate Affairs at the Community Development Foundation.
Ed Gallagher
Ed Gallagher was Chair of Energywatch, the consumer body for gas and electricity consumers. He is also Chair of the citizenship charity, Envision. He is a past Chair of Enviro-Fresh Ltd, and of Middlesex University. He is a former Civil Service Commissioner, and a former Council Member of English Nature. From 1995 to 2001 he was a Board member and Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, prior to which he held a number of senior positions in the private sector.
Christine Farnish
Christine Farnish is Director of Public Policy at Barclays Bank plc. She was previously Chief Executive of the National Association of Pension funds, and a former Director of the Consumer Division at the Financial Services Authority. She was Director of Consumer Affairs at OFTEL from 1994 to 1997, and served as Deputy Director General there from 1997 to 1998.
Roger Darlington
Roger Darlington is Member for England on the Communications Consumer Panel, and was Chair of the Greater London Region on the Postwatch Council. He is a consultant to Connect, the trade union for professional staff in the telecommunications industry, and a Support Trainer with Lamont Associates, a training consultancy specialising in team working and transformation at work. From 1978 to 2002 Roger was a national trade union official at the headquarters of what is now the Communication Workers Union.
Sharon Darcy
Sharon Darcy is a Member of the Council of Energywatch, and a Member of the Thames Committee of the Consumer Council for Water. She is also a Non-executive Director of the Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust; a Non-executive Director of TrustMark; and a Non-executive Director of the Hyde Group.
Vivienne Sugar
Vivienne Sugar was appointed as the Chair of Consumer Focus Wales in January 2008. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing having previously been Director of Housing at both Cardiff and Newport. In 2005 she was appointed as Wales Advisor to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and also became a Vice President of Swansea University. Vivienne was Chief Executive of the City and County of Swansea between 1995 and 2003 and Chair of the Welsh Consumer Council between 2003 and 2008. Vivienne is a also a Consultant to Government and Local Government.
Douglas Sinclair
Douglas Sinclair is Chair of Consumer Focus Scotland and a Member of the Accounts Commission for Scotland. He was Chief Executive of Fife Council from 1999 to 2006 and overall has had sixteen years experience as a Chief Executive in three councils, and four years as Chief Executive of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. He was also Chair of the Scottish Consumer Council.
Rick Hill
Rick Hill was appointed as Chair of Consumer Focus Post and member of the Consumer Focus Board in October 2008. In January 2009 he was appointed as Chairman of the Consumer Council (Northern Ireland). In December 2008 he was appointed Chair of the Northern Ireland Screen Commission, having been interim Chair since Jan 2008. He is a former Minister of Garnerville Presbyterian Church, Belfast. He was previously a member of the BBC Audience Council for Northern Ireland and BBC Broadcasting Council for Northern Ireland.