"She has been pivotal in adding value to our membership throughout an extremely challenging 14-month period, and it’s disappointing that she’s unable to continue in this role for the remainder of her term."
Since becoming the first woman to chair IMLA in November 2019, Louisa has played a central role in orchestrating IMLA’s stakeholder engagement and proactive activity.
Following the significant disruption caused by the pandemic, Louisa worked to ensure the Association’s regular executive committee meetings were able to continue remotely, hosting these sessions alongside a range of virtual member events throughout 2020. Her leadership has helped IMLA navigate the challenges presented by the Covid-19 crisis, and Louisa has been key in lobbying for Government support for non-bank lenders throughout this period.
Under Louisa’s tenure, IMLA published numerous industry reports and consultation responses, as well as maintained close ties with the Government, Treasury, Bank of England, and the regulator to continue to promote members’ interests.
Sedgwick will leave her current position at Vida at the end of March, and will be joining Tandem Bank on 1st October after a period of gardening leave. Since Louisa accepted her new role, the bank has submitted an application to join IMLA.
Kate Davies, executive director of IMLA, said: “I am very grateful to Louisa for all the hard work she has done during her time as chair – some of which is not directly visible to all members, but which is nonetheless extremely important in representing members’ views to those who need to hear them. She has been pivotal in adding value to our membership throughout an extremely challenging 14-month period, and it’s disappointing that she’s unable to continue in this role for the remainder of her term. We wish her every success in her new role and look forward to welcoming her back into our ranks later this year.
“In the meantime, we’re delighted that Jeremy, who has long been a trusted member of IMLA’s Management Committee, is to take over as chair.”
Jeremy Duncombe commented: “We’re all sad to see Louisa step down and we look forward to welcoming her back as soon as possible. She has made great strides in her time as chair, and I look forward to picking up where she left off, working hard to support IMLA’s membership over the coming months.”
Louisa Sedgwick added: “IMLA plays a fundamental role in supporting intermediary lenders by providing them with a unified voice, as well as a forum to discuss and debate key industry issues. I would have loved to have finished my full term as IMLA’s first female chair, however, I know the Association is in safe hands with Jeremy.”
