TPO announces new Ombudsman, Rebecca Marsh

From October 2020, Rebecca Marsh will take up the role of Ombudsman at The Property Ombudsman, taking over from her predecessor Katrine Sporle CBE, whose five-year contract comes to an end on 31st October. Rebecca Marsh is currently Chief Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman and was previously the Deputy Ombudsman and Executive Director of Operations and Investigations at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.  Rebecca brings an extensive range of senior level experience and understanding of complaint handling and investigation spanning 17 years. Her career has had a real focus on, and demonstrates her passion for, working with the industry and stakeholders to support improvement. Rebecca’s role as the new Property Ombudsman is to impartially review complaints made by members of the public against agents, based on the evidence submitted.  The aim is to promote a resolution in full and final settlement of a complaint. Where the Ombudsman is satisfied that the actions of an agent have disadvantaged a complainant, and taking into account relevant parts of the TPO Codes of Practice, she will determine appropriate redress. During Katrine’s term of office, TPO has dealt with an increase of enquiries of 87% and an increase of formal complaints of 55% demonstrating the increasing demand on the role as well as expansion of TPO’s jurisdictions. Baroness Diana Warwick, Chair of the TPO Board, commented "Selecting the Ombudsman is a key responsibility of the TPO Board.  We are truly delighted to appoint Rebecca Marsh to this post. She has a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience of both the Ombudsman role and the sector.  Rebecca’s appointment will enable The Property Ombudsman to continue to influence stakeholders and to raise standards in the industry.”