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Information about Saffron Building Society
The Board of Saffron Building Society includes three full-time Executive Directors and six Non-Executive Directors. The Chair is responsible for leading the Board and is not involved in the day-to-day management of the Society. The Board is responsible for directing and supervising the Society. It sets the strategy for the business, ensures that the correct financial and human resources are in place for the Group to meet its objectives and reviews management performance.
Click on the images below to find out more information about each of the directors.
Appointment: August 2024
Experience: Having graduated in 1983 Mark then joined Barclays Bank on a graduate training scheme and after that spent much of his career with various North American banks in senior investment banking positions, latterly being Chief Executive Officer for the Products and Markets Division of Lloyds TSB and Co-Head of the Bank’s Corporate Markets. Over the last 15 years has performed various corporate workouts whilst taking on non-executive director positions in the mutual and private equity sector.
Committee Membership: Board, Nominations Committee and Remuneration Committee
External Appointments: Aria Finance, West One Loans, University of Kent
Appointment: January 2022
Experience: John is a customer centric commercial leader, with a track record of connecting businesses with their consumers. His executive career spans, retail, telecoms, public sector and financial services including senior roles at Dixons Stores Group, Vodafone, Three, Eircom and the Money Advice Service.
Committee Membership: Board.
External Appointments: None.
Appointment: April 2014
Experience: Colin has held a number of senior finance positions with Barclays, Caudwell Group and Willis Group having previously qualified with PwC. Colin is a Chartered Accountant (FCA). He joined the Board in 2014 as Chief Financial Officer before being promoted to Chief Executive Officer in September 2015.
Committee Membership: Board
External Appointments: None
Maurice has been with the Society for 6 years and heads up the finance and property departments. Maurice is a Certified Chartered Accountant (FCCA) and had an extensive career as a practice accountant and auditor pre his time at Saffron, working on various industries such as tech, financial services, retail and construction. He joined the Society in 2017 as the Financial Controller before being promoted to Deputy Chief Financial Officer in 2020 and Chief Financial Officer in January 2023.
Committee Membership: Board
External Appointments: None
Appointment: April 2020
Experience: David has 40 years’ experience in financial services across both consumer and corporate lending in the UK and across Europe. His executive career includes both risk management and business leadership roles within Lloyd’s Banking Group (1988-2000) and GE Capital (2000-2016) where latterly he was CRO of the European Leasing division, Managing Director of the Green Financing division and CRO and Management Board Member of GE’s Dutch bank, Artesia.
Committee Membership: Board, Risk Committee (Chair) and Audit Committee
External Appointments: Director of Richmond Consulting Ltd
Appointment: January 2021
Experience: Robin has over 20 years’ experience in senior financial services roles. His early career was spent in consulting with Touche Ross, where he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant and then in retail with Sears Group. In 1997 he joined Barclays Bank Group and held senior roles in its credit card business, as Deputy Finance Director at Barclaycard and as Chief Financial Officer of Barclays Private Bank. In 2002 he joined Scarborough Building Society as CFO becoming CEO in 2008 prior to its merger with Skipton Building Society where he became Commercial Director. In 2012 he joined Leeds Building Society where he was Chief Financial Officer.
Committee Membership: Board, Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee and Audit Committee (Chair).
External Appointments: Member of the Risk and Audit Committee of Ripon Cathedral
Appointment: September 2022
Experience: Jaz has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, with extensive expertise in data, digital and cultural transformation, as an Executive, Main Board and INED, at Aviva, Benfield, GE Money, HBOS, NPG Wealth Management, Prudential, WTW and with PE-backed firms. As an INED and Trustee with RiverStone Insurance Ltd, Network Homes Ltd, British Foreign Schools Society and Council Member of the British Heart Foundation, and previously held a visiting professorship in Digital Change Management.
Committee Membership: Board, Risk Committee and Remunerations Committee.
External Appointments: Independent Chairman of Watmos Ltd; Independent Non-executive director of A2 Dominion; Independent Non-Executive Director of BHSF Group Ltd, BHSF Management Services Ltd and BHSF Employee Benefits Ltd; and Independent Non-Executive Director and Member of Council at Cranfield University.
Appointment: October 2024.
Experience: Louise has 30 years’ experience in HR, People, Culture, Operating Model, Purpose-led Leadership & Culture, Organisation Design and Development & Transformation across various global consumer brands, retail, omni-channel, aviation and multi-site services and people businesses. Her executive career includes CHRO/Global HRD with Clarks for 7 years and The Body Shop for 4 years. Her retail roots are grounded in the Marks & Spencer graduate training scheme, and her aviation experience with British Airways, Menzies Aviation, and Emirates (having lived and worked in Dubai for 3.5 years).
Committee Membership: Board, Remuneration Committee (Chair) and Nominations Committee.
External Appointments: Non-Executive Director, Board Member, Audit & Risk Committee Member, and Chair of Remuneration & People Committee Vertas Group. Non-Executive Director, Board Member and Chair of Governance & Remuneration Committee A2 Dominion Housing. Board Trustee, Services Committee Member, and Governance & People Committee Member Thames Reach Housing. Advisor and associate for a number of organisations, delivery strategic HR projects, Leadership development and facilitation, and coaching & mentoring.
Appointment: October 2024
Experience: Angela has had a career working with the FS sector in the capacity of a non-executive director and as a legal adviser. Prior to joining the Saffron, Angela was a non-executive director at Bath Building Society where she was Chair of the Remuneration Committee and Senior Independent Director. In her executive career, Angela was a solicitor and partner at Pinsent Masons where she advised FS sector clients in business change/transformation projects. After retiring from the partnership, she continued advising clients in the sector on a consultancy basis.
Committee Membership: Board, Audit Committee and Nominations Committee
External appointments: Non-executive Director and deputy Chair of the Conduct Committee at the Financial Reporting Council.
Appointment: December 2024
Alex is a seasoned professional, who specialises in strategy & transformation. In addition to her work at Saffron, she is a non-executive at Mastercall and NHS Aqua and a board director of the Teenage Cancer Trust in the North West. She is also a senior advisor to investment firms on M&A in the law.
As an executive, Alex was the CEO of two law firms. Prior to this she spent more than a decade in retail working as an executive for Marks & Spencer in the UK and Coles in Australia. Alex started her career with Accenture, where she spent seven years advising clients.
Alex received a First Class Master’s degree in Engineering from Oxford University in 1997 and an MBA from INSEAD in 2003. She completed the Strategic Leadership executive programme at Oxford in 2013 and received a Certificate in Innovation from Cambridge University in 2022.
In 2018 Alex became the first person to win the Law Society’s Excellence in Practice Management Award, and in 2023 Alex was included in the North West Business Insider Professional Powerlist.
Committee Membership: Board and Audit Committee
External Appointments: NHS Aqua, Teenage Cancer and Trust M&A
Appointment: September 2023
Experience: Caroline is a seasoned C-level Executive with over 25 years’ experience in retail, consumer goods and hospitality. Leveraging technology to optimise the customer experience, she brings deep expertise in digital transformation, marketing and business strategy. She holds a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Committees: Board, Remuneration Committee, Risk Committee and Nominations Committee
External Appointments: Non-Executive Director at Europ Assistance; Trustee of Asthma + Lung UK; Non-Executive Director of the Museum of London Trading Board; Director of C-Squared Consulting Ltd
Saffron Building Society is your regional building society that understands your needs. We pride ourselves on being a mutual organisation, which means we're owned by you, our members and exist solely for your benefit.
Find out moreFor details of the companies included in the SBS Group, please see our SBS Group Structure
Group Structure