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Former senior civil servant Jonathan Rees, a specialist in public policy, consumer and competition issues, has been appointed as the Independent Chair of the Management Committee of the National Association of Funeral Directors.

Jonathan has very broad governance, public policy and relationship management experience, in both executive and non-executive capacities. He has a track record in chairing a wide range of bodies with particular expertise in regulatory issues, promoting the consumer interest, communications and championing equality.

He is currently an independent Director of the Personal Finance Society (the Chartered professional body for independent financial advisors, where he also chairs its independent Consumer panel), of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (resolving student complaints) and of the Employers Network on Equality and Inclusion (the leading body promoting equality best practice).

Previous non-executive director roles include six years as a Trustee of Citizens Advice and the NACAB Pension Fund, and  five years as independent Director of the Lending Standards Board (which provides regulation and standing setting for banks credit lending to consumers) and as a Director of Ombudsman Services (a not-for-profit company providing independent complaints resolution for consumers in energy, telecommunications and retail sectors).

Prior to this he worked in the Civil Service for 35 years with a strong focus on strategy, regulation, change management and partnership working. His last role was as Director-General of the Government Equalities Office from 2008 to 2013. In this period he saw through a major overhaul of equalities legislation with the 2010 Equality Act, set up new partnerships to promote equality in the workplace and developed the policy on same sex marriage.

After graduating in modern history from Jesus College Oxford, Jonathan worked in more than ten Government departments, both in Whitehall and overseas. Posts included three years in the No 10 Policy Unit advising successive Prime Ministers (John Major and Tony Blair) on strategy, seven years in Brussels dealing with European negotiations (both in the European Commission and in the Foreign Office), spells in the Home Office, Cabinet Office, BEIS (dealing with consumer and competition policy) and the Health and Safety Executive.

Commenting on joining the NAFD, Jonathan said: “I am delighted to be joining NAFD at such an important time in the funeral sector’s development. I have been hugely impressed by the professionalism and friendliness of everyone I have met so far and am greatly looking forward to working with you in the coming months.

“My immediate priorities will be to get to know as many of you as possible and understand what you want from NAFD, to help the new governance arrangements bed in, and of course to support the team in helping with the possible regulatory and standards changes in prospect.”

Mr Rees joins the NAFD on 1 September, will chair his first Management Committee on 3 October and will address the membership at the Autumn General Meeting on 10 October.