Your board

Meet your board members

Gwyn Burr 

Chair of the Board the Board, Nominations Committee, and the Non-Executive Remuneration Committee. 

Appointed to board: 2022 

Gwyn brings wide-ranging executive experience in retail, thanks to her director-level roles at Asda and Sainsbury’s. She also has significant financial services experience, having previously held non-executive director positions with Principality Building Society, Sainsbury's Bank plc and the Financial Ombudsman Service. She is currently a non-executive director at Metro AG and is on the board for Ingleby Farm. 

“My role is to lead the board’s focus on the development and delivery of the corporate plan. I also remain focused on making membership matter. As members’ behaviour in dealing with their financial affairs continues to evolve, I’m continuing to work with the team to serve the needs of our members both now and in the future. This includes championing change to deliver increased support for our members – which can be seen in the initiatives we’ve launched already and those we plan to introduce in the future. I’m proud to lead a board that’s tireless in its efforts to support our members and colleagues and have a positive impact on their lives." 

Mark Lund 

Deputy Chair of the Board, Senior Independent Director and a member of the Board Audit, Nominations and Remuneration Committees. He is also an independent non-executive director of Connells. 

Appointed to board: 2016 

Mark’s experience at senior leadership level in financial advice and investment management enables him to provide relevant insight which is particularly important as the Society develops its financial advice business. He has more than 40 years’ experience in commercial and financial services. His previous roles include CEO of St James’s Place plc, CEO of Virgin Direct and Director of Henderson Investors plc. He is a non-executive director of Coutts & Co. 

“I’m huge fan of the Society’s mutual business model. I’m as excited as I’ve ever been about the opportunities it brings – especially for our membership, which is my priority. I’m delighted the Society has now introduced our member-only benefits. I want to make sure we have a strong and resilient business – with a clear plan that continues to develop the Society for the benefit of our members.” 

Stuart Haire

Group Chief Executive and a member of the Non-Executive Remuneration Committee and Chair of the Group Executive Committee. 

Appointed to board: 2022 

Stuart has over 20 years of business leadership experience across financial services. He brings a unique blend of technical and customer facing skills and experience which will support delivering value to our members and the modernisation of the Group. Stuart is driven by the purpose of serving members' interests both now and preparing the business, to continue to serve those interests in future. He’s previously held senior executive roles at NatWest and HSBC and was CEO of Wealth and Personal Banking at HSBC UK. 

“I am fully focused on creating a strong franchise now and in the future by careful stewardship of the group. This will ensure that it matters more now and in the future to our members and customers. The Skipton Group is an incredible set of businesses. It’s well placed to address challenges such as access to your first home, financial education and quality impartial advice, as well as improving access to the housing market and energy efficiency in UK homes. We’ve made a start, but there’s so much more we can and should do to support people in these crucial areas. My job is to continue this work, to make our organisation even more relevant for both existing and new members as they consider their long-term financial needs and aspirations.” 

Andrew Bottomley 

Chief Executive Officer – Money and a member of the Group Executive Committee and the Non-Executive Remuneration Committee. 

Appointed to board: 2016 

Andrew has extensive experience in financial services having previously worked in Lloyds Banking Group, Halifax and Bank of Scotland. He has served in a variety of senior roles across mortgages, savings and financial advice. He is the Chief Executive Officer for our ‘Money’ business, which helps members make the most of their savings and investments. 

“My priority has been to define a clear member focused strategy for the new ‘Money’ business, as well as mobilising our two-year project investing in technology to build a seamless digital experience for members. My focus is to broaden the access members have to advice on their money, along with high quality products and services. I’m most passionate about helping members achieve their financial goals, whether that’s saving for their first home or planning for retirement. I want our members to be able to speak to our experts in our branches, over the phone or through our digital teams, so that they can be confident their money is working hard for them.” 

Paul Chambers 

Group Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Group Executive Committee and Non-Executive Remuneration Committee. 

Appointed to board: 2024 

Paul brings over 25 years’ financial services experience, across international banking, wealth management and management consulting. He has recently joined the board from Standard Chartered Group, where he held a number of senior leadership roles, the most recent being Group Financial Controller. Paul has an extensive track record of leading diverse teams through periods of change, from market entry to market exit. This includes launching new products and services, reporting and control process re-design, and core system change. 

“My initial priority is to spend time with our colleagues, customers and members to better understand the different businesses that make up the Skipton Group. I am particularly keen to understand the drivers of profitability across our Group, so we can build on our objective of making membership mean more – whilst continuing to fund the transformation of our product and services.” 

Iain Cummings 

Non-Executive Director - Chair of the Board Audit Committee and a member of the Board Nominations, Risk and Change Committees

Appointed to board: 2022 

Iain is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales with over 35 years of experience working in the financial sector. He was a partner at KPMG for over 24 years, working with banks and other major financial services firms in both audit and advisory roles, including three years leading KPMG's banking audit practice. He is a non-executive director of Rathbones Group plc (a listed wealth manager), where he is Chair of the Audit Committee. 

“I was attracted to an organisation that takes a long-term view and focuses on delivering value to its members. From supporting them with their mortgages – often the largest financial commitment of their lives – to helping them save for their future. In what’s been a year of change for the Society, my main priority has been maintaining the integrity of our reporting to protect the interest of the Society and its members. This year, I’ll be supporting the smooth transition to our new Group Chief Financial Officer – making sure we maintain our high standards and support the future development of the Society." 

Steven Davis

Non-Executive Director - Chair of the Board Remuneration Committee and a member of the Board Nominations Committee 

Appointed to board: 2023 

Steven has over 35 years’ experience in retail, FMCG and financial services, both in the UK and abroad. Over the past 20 years he’s held senior executive roles in HR, retail operations and change management, always with a strong focus on the colleague and customer experience. His last role was with Sainsbury’s Bank, where he also sat on the Sainsbury’s Group HR Executive. Steven is a non-executive director of Peter Vardy Group. He brings a wealth of experience in strategy, change leadership and building strong customer and colleague propositions. 

“As our Consumer Duty Board Champion, I’ve spent time with colleagues to make sure we’re delivering good customer outcomes and meeting our regulatory requirements. This year I’m keen to understand the key frustrations for our members and to support the business in delivering its strategic plan. Throughout my career, my main motivation has always been to make a difference for both customers and colleagues. Skipton Group has amazing colleagues who are very focused on doing the right thing for our members and the Group as a whole. I see part of my role as ensuring there is both a member and colleague voice at board.” 

Denis Hall 

Non-Executive Director - Chair of the Board Risk Committee and a member of the Board Audit and Nominations Committees. 

Appointed to board: 2017 

Denis has worked in senior risk roles with Citibank, Deutsche Bank and GE Capital. He brings a wide knowledge of risk management, regulation and financial services enabling him to chair the Board Risk Committee and provide support, advice and challenge to the executive team on risk management issues. Denis is a non-executive director of Germany's Aareal Bank and Moneta Bank in the Czech Republic and sits on the Audit and Risk Committees for both these organisations. He is also non-executive director and Chair of the Risk and Audit Committee for Auxmoney Holding in Ireland. 

“My priority has always been on making sure the interests of our members are safeguarded. Whatever happens in the world, it’s important that we service their needs effectively. I’m a big advocate of Skipton’s core principle in putting members first. And it’s been great to see our member-driven values and purpose grow even further over the years. As well as the Society, I also serve on the boards of other financial institutions in Europe. This keeps me informed on current issues, so I can contribute to the Society by weighing up different approaches to common challenges.” 

Heather Jackson 

Non-Executive Director - Chair of the Board Change Committee and a member of the Board Nominations, Remuneration and Risk Committees. 

Appointed to board: 2018 

Heather brings her strong business operations, technology, strategy and change background which is vital as the Society focuses on improving our customer journeys through all channels and on our use of data to support better decision making. She has 25 years’ experience in senior executive roles at Lloyds plc, Capital One, Boots the Chemist, Asda and Burton Group plc. She’s a non-executive director for Ikano Bank Europe and at Rothesay (the UK’s largest pensions insurance specialist) as well as a trustee director of Yorkshire Cancer Research. 

“My focus is on fairness and always considering situations from a member viewpoint. I want to make sure the change initiatives we’re planning make the lives of our members and customers better and easier. Having always lived in Yorkshire, I’m focused on value for money! Making sure we have a positive impact on our members is what drives me personally. I am hugely motivated by the Society’s colleagues' desire to serve all members’ best interests and by our strong purpose.” 

Philip Moore

Non-Executive Director - Member of the Board Audit, Nominations and Risk Committees. He is also a non-executive director of Connells and Chair of Connells’ Audit and Risk Committee.

Appointed to board: 2021

Philip has over 40 years’ experience in international financial services, spending nearly 20 years as a CFO, including of a FTSE 100 company, followed by consulting partner roles in the UK and South East Asia building his commercial, strategic and regulatory expertise. He has experience of chairing audit, risk and remuneration committees for a number of companies, including Bank of Ireland (UK) plc and Wesleyan Assurance Society. He is also a trustee of homelessness charity St Mungo's and a Governor of North Herts College.

“I want all members to feel proud they’re part of the Society. And over the past year, my priority has been on making sure we deliver even more value for our members. I joined the board because of the Society’s strong mutual values and clear purpose. These attributes have created a financially strong, member-focused organisation. And, by drawing on my wide financial experience, I hope to contribute to its continued success.”