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Skills and Experience
Felicity is an audit and assurance professional who has specialised in financial services for over 25 years. She is a chartered accountant and accredited controls assurance provider who during her executive career has worked with building societies, banks, investment managers, custodians, administrators and pension schemes.
Immediately prior to taking up her role with the Society, Felicity was a partner in a global professional services firm and led numerous external and internal audit and controls assurance engagements, governance and regulatory reviews. She has also acted as the Head of Internal Audit for organisations and held a number of roles on committees for industry bodies. Felicity led a national team and her responsibilities included business and people development, risk and quality and relationship management.
Felicity was co-opted onto the Board in July 2022 and is a member of both the Board Risk Committee and Board Audit Committee.
Current external positions
None.
Skills and Experience
A Chartered Accountant for almost 20 years, Steve has more than 12 years of experience in the Building Society sector as well as significant experience in broader financial services.
Steve is responsible for managing the Society’s capital, funding and liquidity positions. Central to his role is ensuring the integrity of financial and regulatory reporting whilst ensuring the Society operates an effective stress testing framework. Steve also holds executive responsibility for managing the Society’s exposure to the financial risks associated with climate change and for championing the overall ESG agenda.
Steve is a member of the Executive Committee, Asset and Liability Committee, Pricing Forum, All Risks Committee, Credit Risk Forum and the Change Programme Steering Committee
Current external positions
None
Skills and Experience
Darren has significant experience in the financial services sector having spent 18 years at another building society before joining Leek Building Society, including 9 years at Executive level. He started his career on the branch counter and went on to undertake various roles in business development, operations and marketing culminating in the role of Chief Customer Officer where he was responsible for branches, mortgage advice and intermediaries as well as digital and product proposition. Darren successfully led a number of key strategic initiatives which included the launch and integration of the organisation’s first digital channels.
After completing a number of professional qualifications through the ifs School of Finance, Darren obtained a Masters Degree in Leadership and Management at Loughborough University (in conjunction with the Building Societies Association). He is passionate about the mutual model and prides himself on championing the voice of members.
Darren took up duty as Leek Building Society’s Deputy Chief Executive in January 2022 with overall responsibility for the Branch Network, IT and Change and Customer Operations which includes the Society’s savings, mortgage, and administration support teams. His remit includes developing the IT, digital, operations, branch, and customer service strategy in alignment with the Society’s corporate plan.
Darren chairs the Conduct and Product Forum. He is also a member of the Executive Committee, All Risks Committee, Credit Risk Forum, Asset and Liability Committee, Pricing Forum and the Change Programme Steering Committee.
Current external positions
None.
Skills and Experience
Dave is an actuary with over 30 years’ experience in financial services within the UK and overseas including life insurance, pensions and investment platforms. He has served as a Director of various regulated companies in the sector over the last 14 years, including Phoenix Life, Abbey Life, SunLife, AXA Isle Of Man and AXA Wealth.
During his executive career, Dave has held a wide range of roles including Finance Director, Strategy Director and Chief Operations Officer. He was responsible for running large finance and operational teams and for driving commercial growth and strategic change across organisations.
Dave was co-opted onto the Board in April 2021. Dave chairs the Board Risk Committee and is a member of the Board Audit Committee and the Board Nominations Committee.
Current external positions
Dave currently holds the following external appointments:
Skills and Experience
Rachel has 23 years of experience working in the Building Society sector including 8 years at Executive level. This has been followed by 8 years operating as a Non-Executive Director in the broader financial services sector as well as in the Public and Voluntary sectors.
After an 18 month period as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Leek Building Society, Rachel was appointed to the position of Independent Chair in April 2016. Since then she has overseen the reshaping of the Society’s Board, including the appointment of a new Chief Executive in 2018 and a number of additional Executive and Non-Executive Director changes.
Rachel has a career-long commitment to and understanding of the mutual sector and a passion for its ethos. She has a particular understanding of customer service transformation, operational efficiency and risk management, HR and remuneration, product development, sales, mortgage lending and the Intermediary market as a result of her previous roles, and has considerable experience of managing Regulatory engagement. As a leader, she brings a strong commitment to excellent team working and to building an open and constructive environment in which the interests of all stakeholders are fully considered in developing the Society’s strategy and overseeing its performance.
As well as Chairing the Board, Rachel also chairs the Board Nominations Committee and is a member of the Board Remuneration Committee.
Current external positions
Rachel currently holds the following external appointments:
Skills and Experience
Andrew has over 35 years of treasury and risk management experience gained within the financial services sector. He joined the Society in January 2018 and was appointed to the Board in September 2021. His role is to ensure that the Society manages risk robustly and operates in line with its clearly defined risk management framework. In addition to having management responsibility for risk and compliance, he also acts as the Society’s Money Laundering Reporting Officer and Data Protection Officer.
Having started his career in the branch network of a clearing bank, Andrew then moved to the building society sector where he gained extensive treasury experience, becoming Assistant Treasurer in one of the country’s largest societies. More recently he held a senior risk management role covering market risk, liquidity risk and counterparty credit risk.
For the majority of his career, Andrew has worked within mutual organisations, reflecting his commitment to the sector and its ethos. He strongly believes that member owned organisations are best placed to provide real value to their members and positively impact the communities they serve.
Andrew is a member of the Executive Committee and All Risks Committee. He also attends the Board Risk Committee and Board Audit Committee, Credit Risk Forum, Asset and Liability Committee, Operational Resilience Forum and the Change Programme Steering Committee.
Current external positions
Skills and Experience
Andrew has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services sector in the UK and internationally, including over 10 years at CEO and Board level. In December 2018, he was appointed Chief Executive with responsibility for developing and proposing the Society’s strategy, objectives and plans as well as for maintaining the Society’s business model and culture.
Andrew has a very deep commitment to the ethos of mutuality and the responsibility of financial institutions to contribute tangibly to the communities they serve. With his values and experience, he is particularly well placed to help maintain the safety, soundness and success of the Society for many years to come.
Andrew is a former Chairman of the Northern Ireland Banking Association and a former Board Director of the Asian Banking Association. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Banking in Ireland and a Chartered Fellow of the UK Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Andrew is a member of the Board Nominations Committee and he attends the Board Risk Committee, Board Audit Committee and Board Remuneration Committee. In terms of management committees, Andrew chairs the Executive Committee, Asset and Liability Committee, All Risks Committee, Credit Risk Forum and Change Programme Steering Committee.
Current external positions
None.
Skills and Experience
Jane is an internationally experienced Board Chief Information Officer / Information Technology Director with over 30 years of delivering significant transformation across a wide range of companies including financial services, retail and utilities. She led the successful merger of IT for several major companies following acquisitions.
With her experience in retail, Jane is a strong advocate of the customer at the heart of the business. Having managed large teams who were responsible for the development and performance of various major digital platforms, Jane is able to leverage her change and technical skills. Jane is passionate about the appropriate use and development of technology and works voluntarily encouraging children and adults to have a successful career in IT.
Jane is a former IT Director of BNP Paribas, a former IT Director of Domino’s Pizza, a former IT Director of Scottish and Newcastle/Spirit Group and a former IT Director of PowerGen (now E.ON). Jane is a former Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
Jane is a member of the Board Risk Committee, Board Remuneration Committee and Board Nominations Committee.
Current external positions
Jane currently holds the following external appointments:
Skills and Experience
John has over 40 years experience in a wide range of roles within the Building Society sector including 17 years as an Executive Director and latterly Deputy Chief Executive of a regional building society. In addition to serving on a building society group Board, he served on and chaired the boards of subsidiary companies involved in estate agency, financial planning and car finance.
This has given John a strong understanding of the Building Society sector and he is a strong advocate of the benefits of mutual business model in financial services. During his career, he has developed skills and expertise across a broad range of areas including marketing, sales, product development, mortgage underwriting and customer services.
John is Chair of the Board Remuneration Committee and is a member of the Board Audit Committee.
Current external positions
John currently holds the follow external appointments:
Leek Building Society received the award of Best Building Society 2023 at the British Bank Awards, sponsored by Smart Money People, on 11 May 2023.
Leek Building Society is a trading name of Leek United Building Society, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority with firm reference number 100014. Our details can be found on the Financial Services Register at https://register.fca.org.uk/s/. Leek United Building Society’s address for service is 50 St. Edward Street, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 5DL.
