People

Rob qualified as an accountant in 1985 and over the next thirty years worked at several large financial institutions in the City, where he was mainly responsible for finance, regulatory and control issues. From 2001 until 2015, he was Finance Director of Sucden Financial Limited with a wide remit of responsibility covering Finance, Risk Management, IT and Regulatory Compliance. In 2015, he began volunteering with the London Capital Credit Union. He was a member of the supervisory committee and also worked in a customer facing role. In 2018, Rob moved to Oxford and joined the Oxfordshire Credit Union. He says, “The OCU will grow and benefit the community in the coming years and I want to help it achieve its aims”. In his free time, Rob loves to cook, is studying Spanish and is a keen golfer and runner.

Sue joined the Board in 2012 and is now Company Secretary.  She has lived in Oxford for more than 30 years and, before retirement, worked in HR with Oxfordshire County Council.  She was a founder member of Rose Hill & Donnington Advice Centre in 1989 and has been a Board member ever since.  She also convenes the Oxford Advice Forum, which includes all the advice-giving agencies in the city.  She is actively involved in the local Child Poverty Action Group. Sue manages the board meetings and is responsible for our Annual General Meeting.

Eliane Pony has been an active member of the credit union for  almost a decade, volunteering with two London based credit unions. She is an accredited (ASDAN) Money Mentor and has helped people overcome debt by spending wisely and staying away from loan sharks. Her involvement with community projects started when she became a member of London Citizen in 2011 for projects such as the Living Wage and City Safe Havens.  Eliane holds a degree in Marketing and Communications and brings that  knowledge to develop and increase OCU membership. She has discovered the wonderful sport of Rugby and enjoys watching her sons playing every week ends. Eliane also speaks French fluently and currently works for a homeless charity in Reading. She is also involved in churches social events.

Alison joined the Board of the Oxfordshire Credit Union in the summer of 2016, having been a member for nearly three years. She works in Higher Education and specialises in distance, online and flexible learning, now in a self-employed capacity doing consultancy projects for different organisations. Alison comes from Jersey and lived in both Spain and France for a number of years teaching English as a Foreign Language before moving back to the UK and settling in Oxford in 2003. She sings in the Oxford Bach Choir, attends the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and has recently picked up her French Horn again after many years of disuse. She is passionate about providing opportunities for people to save as well as spend, and to be able to borrow at reasonable interest rates and is training to be a coach, learning skills which she hopes will allow her to work alongside individuals who might benefit from support in learning to manage their finances.

  Steve Edwards has just joined Oxfordshire Credit Union as a board member.  Steve has spent over 30 years in sales and marketing and brings a wealth of experience to the board.  He has a passion for helping the less privileged, including homeless and addicts, establish or re-establish themselves solidly in society, and is involved in a number of charities working to this end.  Steve has five children and loves cycling and travel.