Virgin Money beefs up team for offensive
Virgin Money has appointed three senior executives as part of its efforts to build a retail banking brand.
Finlay Williamson, who was previously a finance director at Royal Bank of Scotland, becomes the group’s chief financial officer.
Williamson takes the reins from Dave Dyer who is moving over to become international development director for the UK, US Australia and South Africa.
Ian Cornelius, who was most recently Bradford & Bingley’s director of retail products, has been named as Virgin Money’s banking director. Marcus Ezekiel is also joining as the group’ s commercial director from Lloyds Banking Group. He was previously head of legal at HBOS.
A spokesman for Virgin Money said: “With their skills, knowledge and banking experience they will be invaluable additions to the Virgin Money management team.”
Virgin Money is led by executive chairman Jayne-Anne Gadhia.
Virgin Money recently snapped up Somerset-based bank Church House Trust to acquire a banking licence.
It will initially offer savings and mortgages but will look to expand under the Virgin brand which already provides credit cards, savings accounts, insurance and investment products to around 2.5m customers. Two years ago Virgin Money tried to buy Northern Rock and more recently expressed an interest in acquiring the “good bank” part of the nationalised banks.
It is also expected to bid for Royal Bank of Scotland’s Williams & Glyn brand which RBS is being forced to sell in return for receiving billions of pounds of state aid.