New business bank announces senior hires ahead of full launch

Regional managing director, Rebecca Owen, has been promoted to commercial director and head of savings, Louise Halliwell, will become savings director. Bank North has also made two key hires to further strengthen its Manchester Lending Pod.

Rebecca Owen joined Bank North two years ago as regional managing director after gaining commercial experience from a 23-year stint at RBS. Since joining Bank North, Rebecca has played a significant part in the company’s regulatory and commercial journey, recently overseeing the successful launch of lending to SMEs. Rebecca’s expanded role as commercial director at full launch will see her shape Bank North’s proposition, lending to SMEs by working with commercial brokers across the UK.

After joining as head of savings in 2021, Louise Halliwell has played an integral role to ensure Bank North can deliver an efficient proposition to savers. As savings director, Louise will continue to apply her knowledge of the market following eight years as a senior manager at the Yorkshire Building Society.

Rebecca and Louise will both formally assume their new positions at full launch.

Alongside these senior promotions, Bank North welcomes Ellie Woodhouse as lending director and Shane Francis as lending manager for the Manchester Pod. Ellie joins the team at Bank North after 11 years of experience as a manager at Handelsbanken and will bring her local banking expertise to the Manchester team. Shane joins after a career in service and case management with Santander and four years’ experience in relationship management at Cater Allen Private Bank. Ellie and Shane will work to strengthen and grow Bank North’s regional expertise and contacts with local brokers and companies.

Rebecca Owen said: “I am thrilled to be appointed as Bank North’s commercial director, and I look forward to continuing my work in helping to build a truly regional bank. With the UK economy pushing forward after a tough two years both socially and economically, our vision for personal and fast SME lending has not changed and is needed more than ever. Since joining as regional managing director, we have achieved so much, from Authorisation with Restrictions (AWR), to delivering loans to great businesses. I look forward to continuing to work with our outstanding team, attracting more talent as we roll out across the UK.”

Louise Halliwell commented: “I am delighted to take up the role of savings director at Bank North; I joined Bank North at such an exciting time for the company and the savings market, I want to continue to apply my knowledge in launching a range of dynamic saving products that offer great value for customers. Empowering UK savers to put their cash in a bank that will deliver loans to the SMEs powering UK regions, while enjoying full Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection, is a unique proposition, and coupled with good service and fair returns I look forward to welcoming customers to our new bank.”

Jonathan Thompson, Bank North CEO and co-founder, added: “Since joining, Rebecca and Louise have become key members of the team, and these promotions reflect their hard work. The promotions, along with our new Manchester Pod recruits Ellie and Shane, come at a vital stage in our journey, as we look not just to aid a post-Covid economic recovery, but to help rebalance the nation’s economy and, importantly, as we look ahead to when we will be welcoming savers to Bank North.”