Val Gooding was appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Standard Chartered PLC on 1 January 2005.

Val is Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Premier Farnell plc. She is a Non-Executive Director of XL Group plc and the Lawn Tennis Association, Lead Non-Executive Director of the Departmental Board at the Home Office and a member of the Advisory Committee of Virgin Group Holdings.

Val was formerly Chief Executive Officer of BUPA, the independent health and care company. She joined BUPA in 1996 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 1998, stepping down in May 2008.
Prior to that, she spent most of her career with British Airways. She joined British Airways in 1973 and became Head of Marketing in 1992 before being appointed as Director of Business Units in 1993. Her last role with British Airways was Director, Asia Pacific.

She was previously a Non-Executive Director at the BBC, J Sainsbury plc, BAA, Cable and Wireless Communications plc and Compass plc, a Trustee of the British Museum and has also sat on the Board of the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Val graduated from Warwick University with an Honours Degree in French Studies. She is married with two sons.