The Boards

Appointed: August 2021

Skills, experience and contribution

• Extensive financial services experience including in Chief Executive and other leadership roles

• Strategic planning and implementation

• Extensive experience of digital transformation

Charlie has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector. Prior to joining the Group, Charlie held a range of leadership positions at HSBC, including Global Chief Executive, Wealth and Personal Banking, and Group Head of Wealth Management and Digital, as well as Global Chief Operating Officer of Retail Banking and Wealth Management. Charlie began his career at Accenture, where he worked for 13 years in the US, France, Switzerland and the UK before being made a Partner. He then moved to McKinsey & Co. as a Senior Partner, leading on projects for five years.

External appointments

None.
 

Appointed: October 2020 (Board), January 2021 (Chair)

Skills, experience and contribution

• Extensive financial services and investment banking experience

• Strong governance and strategic advisory skills in relation to companies and government

• Regulatory, public policy and stakeholder management experience

Robin spent 25 years advising UK companies and the UK Government while working for S.G. Warburg/UBS Investment Bank and was formerly Chief Executive and Chairman of UK Financial Investments (UKFI), managing the Government’s investments in UK banks following the 2008 financial crisis. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

External appointments

Chair of The Crown Estate.

Board committees

• Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee
• Member of the Remuneration Committee
• Member of the Responsible Business Committee
   

Appointed: August 2024

Skills, experience and contribution

• A wealth of financial, risk and regulatory expertise
• Extensive experience in large-scale customer and corporate facing businesses
• Significant executive experience in the financial services industry

Nathan was Chief Executive Officer of Santander UK plc from 2014 until 2022 and then Head of Investment Platforms at Banco Santander S.A. until his retirement from Santander in 2023. Prior to joining Santander in 2014, Nathan was an executive director and Group Chief Financial Officer of RBS and previously held the post of Chief Risk Officer at RBS. Before joining RBS, Nathan held various senior positions at Santander UK plc between 2004 and 2009, including Executive Director, Finance Director and commercial Chief Executive Officer roles in Financial Markets and Corporate Banking and in Cards and Insurance. He is a chartered accountant.

External appointments

Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Centrica plc.

Board committees

• Member of the Board Risk Committee
• Member of the Audit Committee 
   

Appointed: December 2019

Skills, experience and contribution

• Strong financial leadership and regulatory reporting skills

• Significant audit and risk experience in financial leadership

• Strong transformation programme experience

Sarah has spent her entire executive career in financial services with almost 30 years at HSBC. She was the Group Financial Controller, a Group General Manager and CFO for HSBC’s Asia Pacific region. She also spent eight years as a Non-Executive Director of Hang Seng Bank Limited.

External appointments

Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Severn Trent plc, Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Nomination and Governance Committee of Man Group plc, a Trustee of the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, Board Member of the Audit Committee Chair’s Independent Forum and Chair of the Campaign Advisory Board, King’s College, Cambridge University.

Board committees

• Chair of the Audit Committee
• Member of the Board Risk Committee
• Member of the Responsible Business Committee
   

Appointed: October 2018

Skills, experience and contribution

• Extensive experience in ESG matters including responsible business and sustainability

• Strong customer engagement and digital technology experience

• Significant marketing and brand background

Amanda was Chief Executive of Business in the Community, of which King Charles III is the Royal Founding Patron and which promotes responsible business and corporate responsibility. Prior to that role, she was a member of Aviva’s Group Executive for seven years as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and was seconded to help launch the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. She is also a former Director of British Airways AirMiles, BT, Hewlett Packard Inc and British Gas.

External appointments

Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Remuneration Committee and member of the ESG Committee of The British Land Company plc, and Chair of The Queen’s Reading Room.

Board committees

• Chair of the Responsible Business Committee
• Member of the Remuneration Committee
• Member of the Nomination and Governance Committee
• Member of the Audit Committee

Appointed: November 2021

Skills, experience and contribution 

• Over 25 years’ experience leading digital and complex transformation

• Experience of building and running technology-led businesses and creating new ventures

• A wealth of international and financial services knowledge having lived in 11 countries and worked across 30 countries on six continents

Harmeen was appointed Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at BT in April 2021. Prior to that role, she spent seven years as Global Chief Information Officer and Head of Cyber Security and Cloud Business at Bharti Airtel, leading its cloud and security businesses. Earlier in her career, Harmeen held CIO positions at BBVA, HSBC and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

External appointments 

Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at BT.

Board committees

None
 

Appointed: November 2022 (Board), September 2023 (Senior Independent Director)

Skills, experience and contribution

• Significant executive and non-executive financial services experience

• Knowledge of complex remuneration matters

• Communications expertise with a broad range of stakeholders including investors, regulators government, media and unions

Cathy has significant financial services experience, having worked in senior executive positions at Barclays plc and at the Group. Cathy has previously been a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of Aldermore Group plc, Quilter plc and Countrywide plc.

External appointments

Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of Rentokil Initial plc and Non-Executive Director, Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of Spectris plc. Partner on a part-time basis at Manchester Square Partners LLP.

Board committees

• Chair of the Remuneration Committee
• Member of the Nomination and Governance Committee
• Member of the Board Risk Committee

Appointed: August 2022 (Board), September 2022 (Chair of Scottish Widows Group)

Skills, experience and contribution

• Significant financial services board and chair experience
• Extensive knowledge and experience of large-scale banking and insurance businesses
• Track record as a non-executive and executive in customer-centric companies

Scott was a Non-Executive Director of Centrica plc between 2016 and 2020, and served as Chair of Centrica plc between 2020 and 2024. He was formerly Chair of AXA UK plc, Chair of Aviva Insurance Limited, a Non-Executive Director of Aviva plc and Senior Independent Director of Santander UK plc. He worked as an executive in the retail sector for over 25 years where he held positions including chief executive officer of Best Buy Europe, managing director of Boots the Chemist plc and a number of senior executive positions at Tesco plc. 

External appointments

None

Board committees

• Member of the Nomination and Governance Committee
• Member of the Board Risk Committee
   

Appointed: January 2019

Skills, experience and contribution

• Extensive experience in the financial services sector in the UK and worldwide
• Significant experience of large-scale transformation, operations and technology

Nigel was a partner at Ernst & Young (subsequently Cap Gemini Ernst & Young) for many years where his positions included Head of Financial Services and Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Asia. Before becoming a non executive, he was the Head of HSBC UK and Deputy CEO of HSBC Bank plc. Within the HSBC Group he held several executive appointments including Head of HSBC Insurance Holdings, Chief Operating Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa and Global Head of Operations. Nigel was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Lloyd’s of London Franchise Board.

External appointments

Chair of AXA XL Underwriting Agencies Limited and AXA XL Insurance Company UK Limited, International Advisory Council Member of Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited, Advisory Council Member of International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers and Member of the Finance and Risk Committee of Business in the Community.

Board committees

• Member of the Audit Committee
• Member of the Board Risk Committee
• Member of the Remuneration Committee
• Member of the Nomination and Governance Committee
   

Appointed: January 2019

Skills, experience and contribution

• Extensive digital and digital transformation experience
• Strong customer and marketing skills

Sarah is Chair of the Gender Equality Leadership Team at Business in the Community. She was formerly Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Thames Water Utilities Limited and Director of Water UK, the trade association of the water and wastewater industry. Prior to those roles, Sarah was Chief Customer Officer at Severn Trent plc and a member of its Executive Committee and the Managing Partner for Accenture’s Digital business unit in the UK & Ireland. She has worked internationally in a number of roles including Strategy, Marketing & Propositions for BT’s Global Services division, CEO of Datapoint and Senior Vice President of eLoyalty.

External appointments

Chair of the Gender Equality Leadership Team at Business in the Community – His Majesty King Charles III’s Responsible Business Network.

Board committees

• Member of the Remuneration Committee
• Member of the Responsible Business Committee