HM Land Registry has confirmed the appointment of Iain Banfield as its permanent chief executive and chief land registrar, following a successful year-long tenure as interim CEO.
Banfield joined HMLR in 2019, spending over five years as chief financial officer. He previously spent two and a half years in the Department for International Trade, first as deputy director for strategic finance and then as acting finance director.
He will take up his permanent post on 1st September.
Banfield said: “I am delighted to be appointed to this role having been honoured to serve as Interim CEO over the last year. I look forward to working with everyone across the sector and within the organisation as we continue on our transformation journey, improving services for customers, working closely with our partners across the property sector, and delivering lasting benefits for all our partners.”
Neil Sachdev, non-executive chair of HMLR, said: “I am delighted to confirm the appointment of Iain as the new Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar of HM Land Registry. Iain brings with him a wealth of experience from his previous roles and his time as both CFO and Interim CEO.
“I believe he is the right person to lead HM Land Registry through the next phase of its transformation, continuing to improve customer service, modernise the organisation and support the Government’s ambitions for housing and economic growth.
“I would also like to thank colleagues across HM Land Registry whose professionalism, commitment and dedication have enabled the organisation to make strong progress over the past year. The board and I look forward to working with Iain and the whole team as they build on those achievements.”
A career civil servant since 2001, Banfield has held senior finance and leadership roles across government, including finance director for UK Trade & Investment, Finance Business Partnering, and positions within the Shareholder Executive and the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The chief executive of HMLR is a senior civil service role selected through open and fair competition. The successful candidate is then appointed by the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government to the role of chief land registrar, in this case by Baroness Taylor on behalf of former housing secretary Steve Reed.
