Board of Directors

The Rt Hon Lord Forsyth of Drumlean PC Kt

Non Executive Chairman

Appointed to the Board on 1 March 2014 as an Independent Non-Executive Director and appointed Chairman of the Company on 19 October 2016. Chair of the Nomination Committee and member of the Remuneration Committee.

Skills and experience:

Lord Forsyth is a former Chairman of Hyperion Insurance Group, and former Deputy Chairman of JP Morgan UK and Evercore Partners International. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1995, knighted in 1997, and joined the House of Lords in 1999. He was a member of the House of Commons for 14 years and served in Government for 10 years, latterly as a Cabinet Minster. His background in the public and private sectors has given Lord Forsyth a broad experience of matters relevant to the business of the Group including strategy, governance, operations, marketing, risk and human capital.

Other appointments include:

Lord Forsyth is a director of J&J Denholm Limited and Denholm Logistics Group Limited and Chairman of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee.

David McCreadie FCBI

Chief Executive Officer

Appointed to the Board on 17 December 2019 and appointed CEO, subject to regulatory approval on 5 January 2021.

Skills and experience:

David McCreadie has many years of banking experience and is a Fellow of the Chartered Banking Institute. He spent 22 years at The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) holding roles in Branch Banking, Consumer Finance and several Group central functions. From 2004 to 2008 David was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Kroger Personal Finance, a joint venture between RBS and Kroger Co, based in Cincinnati, USA. David joined Tesco Personal Finance in 2008 and was a member of the executive team that built Tesco Bank. David was an Executive Director and Managing Director of Tesco Bank, with a responsibility for the banking and insurance businesses, from 2015 to 2019.

His experience includes banking, risk management, governance, consumer facing businesses and retailing.

Rachel Lawrence

Chief Financial Officer

Rachel has considerable experience in financial services gained from a career spanning more than 20 years. She has held senior finance roles in Metro Bank where she was part of the original team that set up the bank and Shawbrook where she was part of the successful Initial Public Offering. Prior to joining STB Rachel was CFO at AIB Group (UK) plc. She brings a wealth of banking experience focussed on high growth start up organisations and wider financial services experience gained in asset management, life, pensions and general insurance. She is a qualified chartered management accountant.

Ann Berresford

Senior Independent Director

Appointed to the Board on 22 November 2016 and appointed Chairman of the Audit Committee on 23 September 2017. Appointed as Senior Independent Director on 13 May 2020. Member of the Risk and Nomination Committees.

Skills and experience:

Ann Berresford is a Chartered Accountant with a background in the financial services and energy sectors. She has held positions at Bath Building Society, the Pensions Regulator, Hyperion Insurance Group, Triodos Renewables plc, the Pension Protection Fund, Bank of Ireland Group, Clyde Petroleum plc and Grant Thornton. Her career has given Ann experience in mortgages, pensions, operations, accounting, finance and risk.

Other appointments include:

Ann is the Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee of Albion Venture Capital Trust PLC.

Victoria Stewart

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 22 November 2016 and as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee on 21 July 2017. Member of the Audit and Nomination Committees.

Skills and experience

Victoria Stewart has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector and was for many years a fund manager and investor in UK small companies. Victoria has knowledge of corporate structures and capital markets with particular experience in smaller companies listed on the Main Market and the Alternative Investment Market. She has held a number of positions at Royal London Group and Chiswell Associates (formerly Cantrade Investment Management Limited and now part of Sarasin & Partners). Her background has given Victoria experience in remuneration, governance, corporate strategy, investor relations, accounting, finance and risk.

Other appointments include:

Member of the ICAEW Investment Committee.

Victoria is a Non-Executive Director of Artemis Alpha Trust plc and JP Morgan Claverhouse investment Trust plc.

Paul Myers

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 28 November 2018. Appointed Chairman of the Risk Committee on 31 March 2020. Member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Paul Myers has many years of banking experience, gained initially in Barclays where he spent 24 years in a variety of retail banking roles. He was part of the small team that founded and built Aldermore Bank, where he served as Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Development Director and on the Board as an Executive Director. Paul had a wide range of responsibilities at Aldermore, including IT, operations, transformation, marketing and digital as well as building and developing the retail and SME savings operations. Paul is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

Paul was until February 2019 the Chief Executive Officer and an executive director of GKBK Limited, which is a new banking venture.

Finlay Williamson

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the board on 30 June 2021 and member of the Risk and Nomination Committees.

Skills and experience:

Finlay Williamson is a qualified accountant with many years of banking experience, gained initially at The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (now NatWest Group plc) and then at Virgin Money Holdings (UK) plc where he was Chief Financial Officer prior to the IPO. Finlay was previously a Non-Executive Director at Paragon Banking Group PLC, chairing the Group and Bank Risk Committees.

Other appointments include:

Finlay is currently the Chairman of the Audit Committee and Senior Independent Director of Hampden & Co PLC.