Bradford-born finance boss Gerald Grimes is set to lead a committee representing firms in the consumer credit industry.

He will take over in March as chairman of the consumer finance committee of the Finance & Leasing Association, the UK’s leading trade association for the consumer credit sector.

Mr Grimes, divisional managing director of Leeds based Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance, who is currently the committee’s vice-chairman, will help to lobby the Government on behalf of the industry. He said: “With FLA members providing over £2.3 billion in consumer finance agreements in the 12 months to July, I am looking forward to helping the FLA to promote confidence in consumer credit as part of a sustained economic recovery in the UK. With major changes to improve credit provision via the consumer credit directive, due this year, I want to use this opportunity to really challenge perceptions of the finance industry.”