CFIT appoints new chair and non-executive directors

The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) announces three senior appointments to its board, with Chris Pond joining as non-executive chair and Nausicaa Delfas and Vivienne Artz as independent non-executive directors.

Chris Pond, chair of CFIT

Chris Pond has held a range of senior roles across financial services, academia and politics. A former MP and Work and Pensions Minister in the Blair government, he has served as director of financial capability at the Financial Services Authority and chair of the Financial Inclusion Commission and the Lending Standards Board.

He is also currently chair of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Consumer Panel, TrustMark and Gamstop, as well as the advisory board of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.

Nausicaa Delfas has been chief executive of The Pensions Regulator since April 2023. Before that, she held a number of senior roles at the FCA, including executive director of international, responsible for the FCA’s international and Brexit strategy and delivery, executive director of governance and chief operating officer. She was also interim chief executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service. A qualified solicitor, Nausicaa began her career at the law firm Freshfields.

Vivienne Artz is chief executive of the FTSE Women Leaders Review and holds a number of board and advisory roles supporting businesses in their data, privacy, ED&I and digital transformation strategies. She was previously managing director and chief privacy officer for London Stock Exchange Group, chief privacy officer at Refinitiv and Thomson Reuters and chief executive officer of Women in Banking and Finance. In 2021, Vivienne was awarded an OBE for services to Financial Services and Gender Diversity.

These three additions to the board follow the appointment of Anna Wallace as the organisation’s new chief executive officer, effective 1 September 2025, to lead CFIT into the next phase of its growth. Chris Pond replaces Charlotte Crosswell OBE, CFIT’s founding chair.

CFIT would like to extend its gratitude to Madush Gupta for his steady leadership as acting chair while the organisation recruited a permanent successor.

Chris Pond, non-executive chair of CFIT, said: “The impact of CFIT’s work to date has been widely felt across industry and government, and recognised in the last Budget, the recent Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy and the National Payments Vision.

“I’m delighted to be joining the organisation, alongside two exceptional and experienced non-executives in Nausicaa and Vivienne, as CFIT embarks on its next chapter in tackling some of the most complex systemic challenges facing financial services and the wider economy. Anna and the team can deliver so much in partnership with government, industry and regulators, and we’re excited to play our part in supporting that mission.”

Anna Wallace, chief executive officer of CFIT, said: “Chris, Nausicaa and Vivienne are valuable additions to CFIT’s board, bringing significant experience in overseeing financial services organisations and further strengthening our governance. Their strategic oversight and counsel will be invaluable as we drive forward our work to co-create new tech solutions and policy recommendations in Smart Data, Digital ID, SME finance and a range of other new areas.”

CFIT’s Anna Wallace is speaking at Open Banking Expo UK & Europe on 21-22 October in London. Find out more about the keynotes and panels here.