The appointments were made by the FOS board following an open recruitment process conducted earlier this summer.
Simmonds and Dipple-Johnstone had held the positions on an interim basis since February 2025.
During that period, they worked with the government and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on reforms to the UK’s consumer redress system.
The FOS said it had reduced complaint resolution times, cut the number of long-standing cases and delivered a range of digital improvements under their leadership. This included the roll-out of online portals for businesses and consumers, as well as an enhanced digital complaints form.
The organisation also introduced charges for professional representatives referring cases and revised the default interest rate applied to certain awards.
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Liam Coleman, interim chair of the FOS board, said: “Jenny and James have provided strong leadership during a period of significant change, delivering improvements to operations and timeliness and driving forward proposals to transform the organisation.
“I am pleased that they will continue to build on this work as they lead the service on a permanent basis, providing stable leadership and clear direction for our dedicated colleagues as the Financial Ombudsman Service continues to evolve.”
James Dipple-Johnstone, chief ombudsman, commented: “We deliver a vital service and it’s a privilege to be appointed as chief ombudsman. The commitment of our colleagues across the organisation gives me great confidence as we continue modernising our service and strengthening the impact we have for consumers and businesses.”
Jenny Simmonds, CEO, said: “It’s an honour to lead this organisation and I’m proud of everything we have achieved together over the past year. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with colleagues to improve our service for customers.”
