Arnold was previously Director of Human Resources at Smiths Group plc. Prior to Smiths Group, he was Director of Personnel at Bunzl plc, the distributor and outsourcer, and also worked at Fisons plc and International Computers Limited in HR roles.
He was the Chairman of the Pension Protection Fund from 2016 to 2021, having served on the PPF Board for over 10 years in total. He has also served as a Non-Executive Director at the UK Atomic Energy Authority, where he chaired the Remuneration Committee.
Arnold is active in voluntary and charitable work in the social care and education sectors, and he was awarded an OBE in 2002 for his services to education.
“I am delighted and proud to be a non-executive director of Cifas. It is an innovative, open, excellently led organisation engaged in a noble cause, working collaboratively with members and a range of other stakeholders. Its scope and influence continue to grow, reflecting the high regard in which it is held.
“I am very interested in how you manage growth in an organisation,” he says. “That is something Cifas is facing both in terms of its size and scope. It is a big challenge but one with which the Cifas team is actively and successfully engaged.
“Any organisation that handles money faces risks around cyber security and identity fraud,” he adds. I am not a believer that technology solves everything. You can have the best technology in the world but if people aren’t clued in to implement it intelligently then somebody is going to find you out. He thinks Cifas' members need to be constantly vigilant if, together, we are going to get defeat the fraud threat.
“Organisations have to educate their staff and take them with them as they tackle fraud. Education is particularly relevant to young people who can be too relaxed about the information they provide to others in daily life and on social media. That is why Cifas is right to press for lessons about online safety and fraud awareness to be made mandatory in schools from the age of 11.
“There is, of course, no such thing as complete security. Cifas provides services that help members with that constant process of thinking ahead. If an organisation believes it has solved the security issues, then that can become the moment of greatest risk.
“We always want to be in tune with the wishes of our members but also to some extent provide a lead where we see needs and opportunities. Cifas can provide additional functionality and service as we grow membership in the UK and also explore appropriate partnerships further afield.”
Arnold has been a trustee of Jewish Care since 2008 and was appointed Vice Chair in 2012. The charity is the largest provider of health and social care services for the Jewish community in the UK and every week touches the lives of 12,000 people.
