Marieke Dwarshuis has been appointed to the post of Senior Director of Consumer Focus Scotland.
Consumer Focus Scotland Chair, Douglas Sinclair, said: “We are delighted to have secured someone of Marieke’s calibre to be the next Director of Consumer Focus Scotland. She will bring great knowledge of the Scottish public policy environment to the role and I am confident that she has the drive and experience necessary to develop and enhance our role as Scotland’s consumer champion.”
Jane Ryder, Chief Executive of OSCR, said: “Marieke has played a key part in the development of OSCR and we will greatly miss her personal skills and professional expertise. However, this move represents an exciting opportunity and we wish her well in her new post. Consumer Focus Scotland have secured an outstanding new Director.”
Douglas Sinclair also praised outgoing Director Martyn Evans for his many achievements during his 11 years leading Consumer Focus Scotland and its predecessor the Scottish Consumer Council:
“Martyn’s outstanding leadership and grasp of consumer policy issues ensured many years of growth and development for the Scottish Consumer Council. Then, as the Director of the new Consumer Focus Scotland, he successfully brought together three teams into a single, powerful advocacy body. He has always acted to promote a fairer Scotland and his new role as Chief Executive of Carnegie Trust UK will enable him to continue to positively influence this agenda in the future.”
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Notes to Editors
Marieke Dwarshuis
Before joining OSCR in 2005, Marieke worked for the Scottish Government on legal aid and advice, and financial inclusion issues. Marieke was educated in the Netherlands and graduated in law from the University of Utrecht. She enjoyed a career in the charity sector both in Scotland and the Netherlands before joining the civil service, working for Shelter Scotland, Citizens Advice Scotland, and a number of smaller charities, either as an employee or as a charity trustee.
Consumer Focus Scotland is rooted in over 30 years of work promoting the interests of consumers, particularly those who experience disadvantage in society. We work for consumers in aspects of their lives: as council tenants, householders, patients, parents, solicitors’ clients, public transport users, bank depositors and borrowers, postal service users and as shoppers.
We identify issues of concern within various markets; engage and develop policy through research and speaking to everyone involved; campaign for change; and inform consumers about what’s going on. Consumer Focus Scotland has new powers to research and investigate issues and consumer complaints, to publish information that providers hold and, ultimately, present a “supercomplaint” about failing services.
For further information contact:
Ryan Norton, for Consumer Focus Scotland tel: 0141 227 1852 mobile: 07920 870 101 ryan.norton@consumerfocus.org.uk
Mark Simpson, for OSCR tel: 01382 346 890