Adrian Coles
Secretary-General
International Union of Housing Finance

A graduate of both Nottingham and Sheffield Universities with degrees in Economics, Adrian Coles joined the Building Societies Association (the UK trade body for the UK's 65 mutually owned deposit and mortgage lending institutions) in 1979 as an economist. After various appointments he became Director-General in 1993.

Mr. Coles takes a keen interest in international developments. After serving some years as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Union for Housing Finance, he became part-time Secretary General in December 2001. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the European Mortgage Federation.

Outside of housing finance Adrian is on the board of Money Advice Trust, a UK charity which raises funds for the provision of independent debt advice, and has served the social (i.e., subsidised, low income) housing sector in a number of capacities; he has also been a school governor for many years.