Directorate Change

Leeds Building Society

25 November 2024

 

DIRECTORATE CHANGE AT LEEDS BUILDING SOCIETY

Leeds Building Society (the "Society") is pleased to announce the appointment of Brendan McCafferty as Chair with effect from 1^st March 2025, subject to regulatory approval. He will succeed Iain Cornish following his announcement in January that he would not seek a third term as Chair.

Brendan has been a Non-Executive Director at Leeds Building Society since September. He is a chartered management accountant with extensive financial services experience, including across the insurance and pensions sectors.

He is currently Chair of Nest Corporation, a position he has held since February 2022, and was previously CEO (Intermediated and Direct) at AXA Insurance UK plc and the founding CEO of Flood Re Ltd, an innovative Public Body venture between the government and the insurance industry.  With more than 30 years of experience, he brings a huge amount of knowledge and strategic insight to the role.

Brendan said: "I am honoured to be appointed to the role of Chair at Leeds Building Society. The Society has a strong heritage, a clear purpose, and is committed to putting members first.

"I look forward to working with the rest of the Board, Executive team, and colleagues across the Society to build on its success and ensure we remain well-positioned to serve our members."

Richard Fearon, Leeds Building Society's Chief Executive, said: "Brendan holds a wealth of leadership experience which will be of huge benefit to the Society.

"I and the rest of the Board are looking forward to working with him as we enter our 150^th year of providing a strong and secure place for savers' money and putting homeownership within reach of more people generation after generation."

Iain Cornish, who joined the Society's Board in 2019 and became Chair in April 2020, said: "It has been hugely satisfying to be part of such a collaborative culture focused on supporting members.

"I am proud of what we have achieved together, and I would like to thank my fellow directors, our colleagues and our members for their support throughout my tenure as Chair. I look forward to watching the Society build on its continued success led by Brendan, Richard and the rest of the Board."

Richard added: "I would like to express my personal thanks to Iain for his support during his time as a Board member and Chair. He has made an invaluable contribution, including helping us navigate the Covid-19 pandemic and continuing to grow as a Society."

Ends

About Leeds Building Society

·    Leeds Building Society is the UK's fifth-largest Building Society with assets of £30bn and a total membership of 945,300 as at the end of June 2024.

·    We continue to do today what we were set up to do in 1875 - help people save money and buy their own home. We operate as a mutual, developing and innovating our product range and service offer to help our members achieve their financial goals.

·    We employ over 1,800 colleagues, with a head office in the centre of Leeds, a customer contact centre in Newcastle and a network of 50 branches across the UK.

·    Our purpose is putting home ownership within reach of more people, generation after generation. Since 2020 we have helped over 70,000 first time buyers join the housing ladder.

·    We are committed to the orderly transition to a greener, net zero economy by 2050 and have set a second ambitious target to reduce our scope 1 and 2 location-based emissions by 60% by 2030, which aligns with the UK's net zero commitments.

·    The Society has been a Living Wage employer since 2019. The Society won the title of Best Shared Ownership Mortgage Lender in the 2024 What Mortgage Awards, its ninth consecutive year of success in this category, won "First time Mortgage Buyers' Choice" at the 2023 Moneyfacts Consumer Awards, and was named as the winner of the "Leading With Purpose Award" at the 2023 Business Culture Awards.

·    For more on what we do and how we help our members, visit Leeds Building Society 

 

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