Golden Leaves International
Helping the ex-pat community

You know you’re being looked after
 by a historic and trusted brand

Since pre-paid funeral planning was introduced to the UK in 1984, Golden Leaves Ltd has been at the forefront of providers. We were founding members of the National Association for Pre-paid Funeral Plans and The Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) which monitors the marketing, financial and service provisions of the plan providers that it regulates.

We’d like to assure you that with Golden Leaves, your arrangements are in the safest possible hands. Every funeral director appointed to provide services for a Golden Leaves Plan must first satisfy a number of stringent requirements, including a demonstration of outstanding service records in their local community. It is preferable that they are also be affiliated with relevant accredited associations such as The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and/or The Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF).

All Golden Leaves funeral plan funds are held in the Trust by an independent board of trustees, who are required to ensure the adequacy of funds to cover the cost of funerals when they occur. Our latest actuarial reports show that there are sufficient funds to cover all funerals should they occur on the same day.

The funds are invested in index linked gilts to ensure they keep pace with the RPI. Index linked gilts have performed well in the current market crises and have actually increased in value due to the flight by investors from equities into secure investments.

Furthermore, should Golden Leaves Ltd cease trade due to liquidation, insolvency or any other reason, the Golden Leaves Trust Fund is safe from any creditors because the Trust is an entirely separate legal entity. In such an incident, the trustees are required to find another company to complete the administration of the plans.

If Golden Leaves Ltd is taken over by another company, the new company will assume all obligations Golden Leaves has made to its plan holders. Any monies already paid in will therefore be guaranteed to cover future funeral arrangements, and payments will continue to be taken in accordance with the plan contact terms and conditions.

Trustee
Arnold Pindar, Chairman

Arnold Pindar has been President of ANEC, the European Consumer Voice in Standardisation, since 2011. ANEC aims to achieve the highest practicable levels of protection and welfare for all consumers, regardless of age or ability. He was also Chairman of the UK National Consumer Federation from 2011 to 2019, an independent, not-for-profit charity, with over 50 years experience of in tackling issues that affect large numbers of consumers and campaigning for positive change. At the international level, Arnold was chairman or co-chair of several Consumer Working Groups for ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation), notably the committee dealing with priorities for consumers and for the working group on the standardisation of services.

Arnold trained as an analytical chemist and worked for many years at the UK’s Department of Trade & Industry, much of this time dealing with consumer safety. He has represented the UK at European Council and Commission Working Parties developing safety related harmonization Directives, and has been a member of many British and European (CEN) and international (ISO) Standards Technical Committees. He joined the British Standards Institution in 1996 as Head of Consumer & Societal Policy (retired 2006).

Arnold Pindar comments on this appointment as a Trustee…
“As an independent trust of the Golden Leaves Trust, it is my role to ensure that money paid to Golden Leaves for pre-paid funeral plans remains safe. As someone very active in the consumer movement across Europe and experienced in standardisation, I can personally endorse and contribute to Golden Leaves’ high levels of quality, standards and consumer protection within their operational activities and their work to promote these qualities through the Funeral Planning industry.”

Trustee
Tom Kiedrowski

Tom Kiedrowski works within the Policy Division of the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) He has worked in a range of strategic and operational roles within the areas of consumer protection, competition policy and regulation for more than twenty-five years. Tom has extensive senior management experience with exposure to Board-level directors, politicians and senior civil servants having working at BT, ECTA, Ofcom, Ofwat, the Department of Business Innovation & Skills, Bristol Water and the Law Society of England & Wales. Tom established the UK Competition Network (UKCN) during his time in the CMA transition team at the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

He was a member of the Better Regulation Executive team that developed the Principles for Economic Regulation that were published in April 2011. Until January 2014 Tom was Director of Market Reform at Ofwat, where he developed proposals for the implementation of wholesale and retail market reform team.

Between 2005 and 2011, he held a number of roles at Ofcom, including Project Director of Better Regulation and Impact Assessments. Tom developed Ofcom’s principles for co and self-regulation. He is a member of Chatham House

Trustee
David Dinwoodie CA IMC

David is a director responsible for managing the assets, investments and business interests of an extremely high net worth entrepreneur. An accomplished strategist and corporate financier with over 15 years of experience across Big 4 Accountancy and Blue Chip FTSE 100 organisations.  He has extensive experience in providing financial and commercial direction, and is both a professionally qualified Chartered Accountant and member of the CFA Society of the UK (international organisation of investment practitioners).

Previously, David was an Associate Partner at a London based corporate finance practice focusing on SMEs.  He has led engagements across every stage of a transaction from consideration of strategic options to transaction execution, and has worked with a broad range of clients from private equity to government departments.

Trustee
Steve Rowland

Steve Rowland provides the valuable link between the funeral industry, the Golden Leaves company, and the Golden Leaves Trust. He brings a vast wealth of experience and capability. He is the Chairman of Golden Leaves Ltd, Managing Director of the Rowland Brothers group of funeral directors and Rowland Brothers International – a globally recognised repatriation provider.

His previous roles include Chairman of the National Association of Pre-Paid Funeral Plans (NAPFP) between 2000 and 2005; an industry representative of the Joint Steering Group for the development of the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA); and director of the FPA from 2002 to 2005.

Steve has witnessed both the best and worst of what the industry has to offer, and offers a highly knowledgeable link between Golden Leaves, funeral directors, and ultimately, the customer.

“Whether investing in a pre-paid funeral plan or dealing with the tragedy of losing a loved one, any customer is potentially vulnerable and therefore needs to be provided with the greatest levels of protection and reassurance. At Golden Leaves, our focus is on putting our customers first, at every level – including our own board of trustees who have a significant background in Consumer Protection.”

Trustee
Amanda Williams

Amanda has over three decades of experience gained in financial services and corporate communications. Starting her career at UBS, she worked in several areas of the bank including eurobond syndication, international equity and the gilt edged desk. She then joined Shell Pensions where she was a member of the team that managed the $7bn in house pension fund before joining Dresdner RCM Global Investors as an investment manager with a portfolio of unit trusts and discretionary pension funds.

Amanda left the buy side and moved into a corporate advisory role at an investor relations company advising FTSE100, Mid Cap and Small Cap clients how to effectively manage their communications with their stakeholders.  She then set up her own communications consultancy which she ran successfully for a decade before selling to a PR company.

In recent years, Amanda has worked in the public sector, initially at the Cabinet Office in a cross public sector/local authority stakeholder relations and communications role. And most recently, at the Bank Of England, in the financial stability and strategy directorate, before undertaking a secondment at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and then working in the international banking supervisory and regulatory division.

Trustee Consultant
James K Humble OBE

James K Humble is a Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards Institute; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; Member of the Codes of Practice Committee, Department of Health. Board; Dignity in Dying.

Previous appointments include Assistant Director Office of Fair Trading and Executive Committee; National Consumer Congress; Non-Executive Director of the National Consumer Council; Chief Executive LACOTS; Director Metrication Board; Director National Metrological Coordinating Unit. In Europe, Rapporteur Council of Europe Committees on Consumer Education and Codes of Practice; Leader Hague Nine; member of various regulatory committees including FLEP [food law]; PROSAFE [product safety] and WELMEC [metrology]; European Commission Working Groups and a member of the Methven Committee and the Eden Committee in Whitehall.

James K Humble OBE comments on his appointment as a Trustee…
“I agreed to become a trustee of Golden Leaves because I found excellent transparency and an absolute determination to protect consumers. The company’s terms of fairness and value are exemplary. The trustees are also able to secure the very best financial advice to ensure every customer is fully protected.”

Trustee Consultant
Keith Graham

Keith is a highly experienced trustee with many years operating within the financial services sector. Now retired and having been a fully qualified member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners, Keith is able, from an independent perspective, to supplement and broaden the knowledge base of the Board of Trustees.

With his detailed knowledge of the issues affecting trusts, he also provides operational oversight of the appointed independent investment managers and advisers, helping to ensure the Trustees understand the decisions they are being asked to make.

With a strong corporate governance background and knowledge of financial regulation, Keith plays an integral role in ensuring that all the requisite controls are in place.