David Edmonds to take over as Chairman of PhonepayPlus
PhonepayPlus today announces David Edmonds CBE as its next Chairman. He will succeed Andrew Pinder CBE as chair of the UK premium rate services regulator’s Board on 1 September 2015.
David Edmonds has had an extensive career in business, regulation and in government departments. After a career in the civil service, and seven years as Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation, and seven years in the City, he was appointed as Director General of Telecommunications by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He subsequently served as a founding Board Member of Ofcom and Chairman of NHS Direct. For six years he chaired the initial Legal Services Board, set up to create a more effective regulatory regime for legal services, and a more responsive and consumer focused marketplace. He has served on the Boards of a number of major private sector companies in the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250. He is currently Chairman of E20 LLP, responsible for the transformation and running of the Olympic Stadium, of NHS Shared Business Services, and of Kingston University’s Governing Board. He was awarded a CBE for service to Telecommunications.
David Edmonds said:
“PhonepayPlus has a long history of effective regulation, working together with the premium rate industry to support innovation and to deliver good outcomes for consumers. It makes a vital contribution to consumer confidence in the digital economy and a healthy market for phone-paid services. As Chairman, I look forward to building on Andrew Pinder’s work and leading the next stage of PhonepayPlus’ development.”
Andrew Pinder said:
“David Edmonds will bring a wealth of experience and expertise as Chairman of PhonepayPlus. I wish him and PhonepayPlus every success in the future and I would like to thank the Board, Ofcom and our other partners, the PRS industry and the Executive for their support during my time as Chairman.”
As Chairman, Andrew Pinder has led PhonepayPlus in delivering a new Code of Practice for the industry and in encouraging market innovation and consumer protection. This has seen new developments in the PRS market, including app store purchasing and the growth of charitable giving by SMS.