McNeil Arries holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA), completed in 2023 while working full-time, and is currently pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) in Insurance Law through UNISA. He began his career in 2017 as a call centre agent at a short-term insurer and went on to gain experience in Customer Service, Complaint Resolution, Product Development, Underwriting, and Specialist Legal Advisory. In 2024, McNeil transitioned into the Over-the-Counter Derivative Providers environment, where he led groupwide legal and compliance functions, strengthening his expertise in legislative interpretation and practical compliance solutions. Guided by a strong sense of fairness and objectivity, he approaches adjudication with both technical precision and empathy and looks forward to making a meaningful contribution in his role as FAIS Ombud’s Adjudicator.