|PIC1|Christian Aid has announced the appointment of Loretta Minghella as its new director.

Minghella, who has been the chief executive of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for the past five years, will take up her new appointment in April 2010.

She will succeed Dr Daleep Mukarji, who has been Christian Aid’s director for the past 11 years.

Ms Minghella, a former lawyer, said she was very excited about her new job.

"I feel hugely privileged to have been invited to become the next director of Christian Aid," she says.

"Its vision of eradicating poverty, building a world with a commitment to equality and human dignity at its heart, is both challenging and compelling."

While not coming from an international development background, she has extensive experience which will be invaluable in leading Christian Aid.

During her time at the FSCS, it has moved from being a low-key organisation handling compensation claims on a small scale to one that has played a major role in mitigating the effects of the financial crisis. Over the past year, it has paid out more than £21 billion in compensation, protecting the holders of some 3.5 million bank accounts.

"My experience will, I believe, be useful to Christian Aid in developing the organisation internally and continuing to improve service delivery, while managing the opportunities and challenges of working with partner organisations," she said.

She said she was attracted to Christian Aid’s approach to poverty, in that it operates on a number of levels.

"It seeks to address the immediate effects of poverty and natural disaster and it also looks to help those in poverty to help themselves out of it," she said.

"And in its mission to eradicate poverty it seeks to go further: to tackle the structural causes of poverty which are rooted as much in the thinking and systems of rich countries as of poorer ones."

Ms Minghella a committed Christian, expressed her hope to steer Christian Aid through the recession.

"I am conscious that the financial crisis has hit those in the South the hardest and that the need for Christian Aid’s work is greater than ever," she said.

"While the world is facing very difficult times, and Christian Aid has been facing difficult times, I am confident that the organisation, which has already achieved so much, can continue to move forward."

The appointment was welcomed by Dame Anne Owers, the chair of Christian Aid’s board of trustees, who led the selection panel.

"We are delighted to have someone with the skills, experience and commitment of Loretta Minghella as the new director of Christian Aid," said Dame Anne.

"I am confident that she will be able to build on the tremendous achievements of Daleep Mukarji, and work together with staff, sponsoring churches and partners to carry on Christian Aid’s vital work and mission."