Bank adviser Peter Kell heads AFCA consumer panel

Ian Rogers

Promontory Financial Australian MD Peter Kell

Peter Kell will assume the role of independent chair of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority’s consumer advisory panel. 

Kell replaces Peter Gartlan, co-CEO at Financial Counselling Australia, who has chaired this panel since the panel’s establishment in March 2019.

Kell is a former deputy chair of ASIC, a former deputy chair of the ACCC and a former CEO of consumer group CHOICE.

Post ASIC, Kell is working as managing director at Promontory Financial Group in Australia.

AFCA uses expert Panels to make Determinations about particularly complex complaints it receives. "Panel members are appointed by the AFCA board based on their objectivity, qualifications, experience and relevant personal qualities" the AFCA website explains.

Each panel that is formed to make a Determination will normally have three members – a chair (an AFCA Ombudsman), an industry representative and a consumer representative.

AFCA has a surprisingly large pool of 50 Panel members covering consumer and industry specialist experience.

And as for AFCA Ombudsmen, there are, apparently, 65.