Directors standing for election

Dave Cheeseman BSc, FIA
Independent Non-Executive Director since April 2021.

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 and is a member of both the Board Risk Committee and Board Audit Committee.

Current external positions

Dave currently holds the following external appointments:

• Independent Non-Executive Director at Holloway Friendly Society Limited since 2020 where he chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.
• Independent Non-Executive Director at Amber River Group since September 2021, where he chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.

Andrew Davies
Chief Risk Officer and Executive Director since September 2021.

Skills and Experience

Andrew has over 30 years of treasury and risk management experience gained within the financial services sector. He joined the Society in January 2018 as Head of Risk & Compliance, becoming Chief Risk Officer in July 2019 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 at a UK bank where he helped to develop and embed a second line risk oversight function 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 All Risks Committee. He also attends the Executive Committee, the Board Risk Committee and Board Audit Committee, Conduct and Product Forum, Credit Risk Forum, Asset and Liability Committee, Pricing Forum and the Investment Programme Steering Committee.

Current external positions

None.

Directors standing for re-election

Keith Abercromby BSc, FIA
Independent Non-Executive Director since March 2016.

Skills and Experience

Keith has 35 years of experience in the financial services sector in the UK and internationally covering retail banking, insurance, investments and pensions. This includes 20 years at Board level in a variety of roles including Non-Executive Director, CEO and Finance Director across a range of companies including the Halifax, Clerical Medical, Aviva, Liverpool Victoria and Castle Trust.

During his career at the Halifax, Keith was employed at Board level in a wide range of roles including Chief Executive of its life insurance and investment businesses and the executive responsible for risk and products in retail. At Aviva, Keith was the Finance Director of its UK life insurance companies – Norwich Union, General Accident and Commercial Union – before being appointed Group Finance Director by Liverpool Victoria.

Keith is Chair of the Board Audit Committee and is a member of the Board Risk Committee.

Current external positions

Keith currently holds the following external appointments:

• Independent Non-Executive Director of Canada Life Limited since 2017, where he is a member of the Audit, Risk and Nominations Committees and chairs the Audit Committee.
• Independent Non-Executive Director of Argus Group Holdings since 2017, where he is a member of and chairs the Audit Committee and chairs its subsidiary, Argus Insurance Company (Europe) Ltd.

Robert Broadbent BSc, ACA
Finance Director and Executive Director since April 2019.

Skills and Experience

Robert, a Chartered Accountant, has more than 20 years of experience in financial services including positions at both Board and executive level. In April 2019 he was appointed Finance Director and was formally elected to the Society’s Board at the AGM in April 2020. He is responsible for managing the Society’s capital, funding and liquidity positions. An integral part of his role is ensuring the integrity of financial and regulatory reporting whilst ensuring the Society maintains an effective stress testing framework. He is also responsible for managing the customer operations team and holds executive responsibility for the Society’s work in the area of climate change.

Robert has spent most of his professional career either working for, or providing advisory services to, the financial services sector with a particular focus on building societies. He passionately believes that a modern mutual has a key role to play in delivering financial services to members and supporting the local communities in which they are based.

Robert attends the Board Audit Committee. He chairs the Credit Risk Forum and Pricing Forum and is a member of the Executive Committee, Asset and Liability Committee, All Risks Committee, Conduct and Product Forum and the Investment Programme Steering Committee.

Current external positions

None.

Rachel Court JP, BA Oxon
Independent Non-Executive Director since November 2014 and Independent Chair since April 2016.

Skills and Experience

Rachel has 23 years of experience working in the Building Society sector including 7 years at Executive level. This has been followed by 7 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 on the Board of Leek United, she was appointed as the Society’s Independent Chair, and has overseen the reshaping of the Society’s Board, including the appointment of a new Chief Executive and Finance Director in 2018/19.

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:

• Independent Chair of Invesco Pensions Limited, where she is also a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
• Non-Executive Director of Invesco UK Limited, where she is also Chair of the Risk and Compliance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
• Non-Executive Director of Invesco Funds Managers Ltd.
• Governor – Calderdale College.
• Chair – PRISM Youth Project and Independent School.
• Magistrate.

Andrew Healy MoB, BSc, Chartered FCIPD
Chief Executive and Executive Director since December 2018.

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, Investment Programme Steering Committee and Conduct and Product Forum. He is also a member of the Credit Risk Forum.

Current external positions

None.

Jane Kimberlin BA
Independent Non-Executive Director since November 2016.

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:

• Director and Society Secretary, Creaton Community Benefit Society.
• Director, Creaton Consultants.
• Liveryman, Worshipful Company of Information Technologists.

John Leveson MBA, FCIB
Independent Non-Executive Director since May 2015.

Skills and Experience

John has over 36 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:

• Non-Executive Director of H&H Group plc
• Volunteer driver for a community bus service which serves the rural area where John lives.