Staines, England, United Kingdom, October 2025 – Novuna, one of the UK’s leading financial services companies, has appointed Zarina Ward as Chief HR Officer for the Group. This appointment marks the next chapter in strengthening Novuna’s people strategy, following the planned retirement of the company’s previous Group HR Director.
Zarina Ward brings more than 20 years of experience as a strategic HR leader. She joins Novuna from Verian Group (formerly Kantar Public), where she served as Global Chief People Officer, overseeing people and talent functions across 23 countries. At Verian, she was instrumental in shaping and implementing the organisation structure post-divestment, including extensive business transformation.
In her new role, Zarina will lead Novuna’s people function across its business divisions—Consumer Finance, Vehicle Solutions, Business Finance and Business Cash Flow—as well as its pan-European operations spanning MHC Mobility and European Vendor Finance. Her remit will cover the full breadth of the Group’s people agenda, from talent and culture to organisational development and employee experience.
With a varied career spanning professional services, consulting and private equity sectors in the UK, Europe and globally, Zarina has previously held senior positions at MindGym, RGP, and Oliver Wyman Group. She also serves as a Trustee on the Board at Connection Support, where she provides pro-bono consulting to a charity that delivers services to vulnerable people with complex needs. Zarina holds a law degree and will be based at Novuna’s headquarters in Staines.
Robert Gordon, Chief Executive Officer at Novuna, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Zarina to our senior executive team. She brings a wealth of expertise, sector experience and a proven track record of delivery, which will be invaluable in attracting, developing and retaining the very best people across the business. Our colleagues are at the heart of our success, and I’m confident Zarina will help us continue to build a high-performing, inclusive culture that supports our customers in an increasingly competitive market.”
Zarina Ward, Chief HR Officer at Novuna, added: “It’s an exciting time to join Novuna and to build on its strong employer brand and established reputation in financial services. I’m passionate about creating inclusive people strategies that enable colleagues to reach their potential, while driving continual improvement and supporting long-term business growth. I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective and working with the leadership team to shape the future of the organisation.”
About Novuna
Novuna is one of the UK’s leading financial services companies. It creates extraordinary solutions and outstanding customer experiences that millions of consumers and businesses love every day.
From its 24/7 fast, flexible retail point-of-sale finance and award-winning personal loans to its industry-leading support for fleet decarbonisation, futureproofing, and asset finance solutions, Novuna embraces new ways of working to unlock the potential of customers and colleagues alike.
Novuna is the trading style for Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. With over four decades of success, the name Novuna (meaning New Together) reflects the company’s ability to anticipate and support customers through rapid change, powering ambitions sooner.
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