Tim Birse (2013)
Appointed to the Board in May 2010, Tim is a qualified
actuary. He is a strong supporter of the mutual life insurance and friendly society sector,
having spent his entire working life at two mutual companies - firstly National Provident
Institution and more recently over 21 years at Reliance Mutual Insurance Society. In October
2009 Tim stepped back from his management responsibilities as chief actuary at Reliance Mutual
in order to devote more time to other activities and now works part time for Reliance. Much of
the time generated by moving to part time work Tim has devoted to education of future generations
of actuaries and he is currently Chairman of the Board of Examiners for the UK actuarial
profession. Tim is active in the Association of Financial Mutuals and its predecessor bodies.
He has served on and chaired various working parties and discussion groups. In his spare time
Tim is active as an Explorer Scout Leader and treasurer of his Parish Church.
Janet Cassettari (2013)
Appointed to the Board in May 2010, Janet has worked in
the financial services sector for over 30 years in a career encompassing many roles and
responsibilities both within the UK and internationally. She managed the UK operation
of a European reinsurance company and other roles have included global responsibility
for development of an insurance product. She currently provides marketing and product
development services through her own consultancy (Janet Cassettari Consulting) and is a
Director of an organisation which provides services within the annuity/longevity market.
Janet has served on the Marketing Committee since 2007.
Peter Clarke (2013)
Appointed to the Board on 10 May 2007, Peter joined
the City of London Police in 1979 and has had policies with
metfriendly from that time.
Over the years he has had control of a number of internal budgets. He is an Inspector
currently leading the ceremonial section of Operational Planning. Between 2001 and 2008
he was project manager for a multi-million project accountable both internally and
nationally for the money spent. In his spare time he is Treasurer for his local church.
Patrick Girling (2013)
Appointed to the Board in May 2010, Patrick Girling
is an experienced Financial Service professional with over 25 years experience in the industry.
Patrick has specialised in the governance arena. He was Group Risk Director at Royal London
Mutual Insurance before becoming a risk and governance consultant. Since then Patrick has
provided interim management and consultancy support to the industry, holding senior positions
in risk, compliance and internal audit. Known for his pragmatic approach to regulation, Patrick
believes that he can provide metfriendly with solid support through the next generation of
legislation - namely Solvency 2, the new regulation that will impact on the Life and Pensions
Industry. A firm believer in the ethos of mutuality Patrick has worked closely with the FSA on
behalf of a number of his clients to ensure a proportionate approach to the business. He is
currently providing support to a major insurance firm through his consultancy company Corporate
Governance Assurance Services Ltd (CGAS). Patrick has recently formed a new company, SolvECon,
specialising in holistic regulatory advice to insurance companies
David Gottler (2013)
Appointed to the Board in July 2005, David qualified as a
solicitor at the age of 22 and has worked in the City of London for all his working life.
In a career spanning over 30 years, David has undertaken a considerable variety of legal work,
including taking a leading case to the House of Lords, as well as acting as an advocate,
particularly in relation to family and licensing work. As his career has developed, David
has concentrated more on property and commercial work, although he continues to enjoy his
specialist matrimonial practice, where there is constant opportunity to help people in times
of emotional difficulty. David personally has been advising
metfriendly since 2000 and his firm
for many years before that.
Eileen Heaney (2013)
Appointed to the Board in May 2003, Eileen qualified
as a certified accountant in 1971 whilst working for British Rail, subsequently she joined
a professional practice to gain wider experience. In 1975, she joined British Gas as a
Management Accountant and worked there for 22 years, her final post being Area Finance Manager,
London & South East for Centrica based at Croydon. In 1998, Eileen joined the Metropolitan
Police as Business Accountant for 3 Area; she has also worked for 1 Area, Territorial
Policing and, until she retired in June 2007, was a Business Support Accountant for Central
Operations. Eileen served as a committee member for the Central London Society of Certified
Accountants for 14 years and was its President for 2 years. She was Treasurer of an amateur
theatre company for many years and now audits its accounts.
Mike McAndrew (2013)
Appointed to the Board in October 2001, Mike McAndrew is
Assistant Director, Promoting Difference in the MPS Leadership Academy, having retired as
a police officer in 2007 after 38 years service. Prior to retirement he was the full-time
Secretary for the Superintendents' Association in London and a member of the Association's
National Executive Committee. He was the Association's National Lead for HR. His last operational
post as a police officer in the MPS was Traffic OCU Commander. Mike is a Chartered Fellow of
the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Paul McKeever (2012)
Appointed to the Board in February 1998, Paul joined the
Metropolitan Police in 1977, immediately after graduating from London University, Goldsmiths
College. He is Chairman of The Police Federation of England & Wales, and is also the Chairman
of the Staff Side of The Police Negotiating Board (Pay) for the United Kingdom. He is a member
of the Metropolitan Federation Joint Executive Committee and the Metropolitan Sergeants' Branch
Board and Executive Committee. He chairs The National Police Memorial Day Organising Committee,
is a Director of Skills for Justice and is a board member of the Police Leadership College,
Bramshill. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Freeman of the City of London, a member
of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Institute of Management.
Mick Messinger (2012)
Appointed to the Board in January 1997, Mick spent
40 years in the Metropolitan Police, retiring in July 2006. In his final post, he was
Commander of Operations with responsibilities including event policing, major incident
response, emergency planning and public order training. During his career, Mick joined
both the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Chartered Management
Institute. In addition to his long service on the Society's Board, he has chaired the
Metropolitan and City Police Orphans Fund and served in other welfare posts. Mick has
also been deputy chairman of the MPAA and chaired their General Purpose Committee. He
currently holds the post of Commander of Prince of Wales's District of St John Ambulance.
Peter Smyth (2013)
Appointed to the Board in May 2010, Peter has been a
police officer for 33 years, of which 30 have been spent as a Detective. He has worked
mainly in North London, and has extensive experience of murder enquiries having worked on
143 investigations of which 139 were solved. He was a founder member of Operation Trident,
the Met team dealing with gun crime in black communities. He has been a Federation representative
for 12 years and has previously served as the Secretary of the CID Committee, Chairman of the
Constables Branch Board, and since 2008 has been the Chairman of the Joint Executive Committee.
Since 2006 he has served as a member of the Board of Management for the Metropolitan and City
Police Orphans Fund and has a good understanding of the functions of a trustee.
Graham Stokes (2012)
Appointed to the Board in May 1999, Graham joined the
Metropolitan Police Service in 1981 and has served on several South East and Central
London Boroughs as well as a number of HQ postings. He has been a Chief Inspector since
1997 and is currently head of the MPS Emergency Procedures Unit, part of CO3 Emergency
Preparedness OCU, based at New Scotland Yard. His department has responsibility for developing
the MPS plans for dealing with major incidents and emergencies. He is a member of the London
Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP), represents the MPS on a number of national committees
and is a member of numerous committees and working groups formed under the London Regional
Resilience Forum.
Stuart Bell (2012)
Stuart has spent his career in insurance. He qualified as an
actuary in 1978 and has served in a voluntary capacity on his profession's committees.
He holds a practising certificate covering with-profits business and his professional
interests include investment and risk management. He left Milliman, a firm of consultants,
in 2006 to join metfriendly
as Chief Executive. During his 30 years with Milliman
(and its forerunners) in London, Stuart gave advice to many UK and overseas clients
and was appointed as the statutory actuary to many small firms. He was also engaged
in expert witness work - particularly where insurance funds were being merged. In his
early career, Stuart worked for both pensions and non-life insurance clients. In his
later consulting career, his clients included a number of friendly societies - and his work
for metfriendly dates back to 1985.
He is also a member of the Institute of Directors: and he sits on the Regulation Committee
of the Association of Financial Mutuals.
Don Ratcliffe (2013)
Don joined the Metropolitan Police as a cadet in 1970,
becoming a constable at Bow Street in 1972. He also served at Peckham and was the
General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation Joint Executive Committee
from 2001 until his retirement in 2005, when he joined
metfriendly.
Don is Deputy Chief Executive and Secretary, and has responsibility for personnel
matters within the Society - as well as helping with our pastoral work.
He is a past Trustee of the Metropolitan Police Combined Benevolent Fund
and the National Police Fund. He is currently a member of the Institute of Directors.
