Yorkshire Bank strengthens Midlands leadership team

Yorkshire Bank has announced a new business and private banking leadership team in the Midlands.

Brian Colquhoun, Regional Director for the Midlands, is supported by Richard Wallace as Head of the Regional Hub at Yorkshire Bank’s Birmingham Business & Private Banking Centre in Temple Row in Birmingham.

Brian will have responsibility for the Bank’s Centres across the region in Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Northampton, Peterborough, Oxford, Gloucester and Exeter.

To support Brian and Richard, the Bank has made the following senior appointments:
• Gareth Jones, Head of Commercial and Small Business Banking (businesses with an annual turnover up to £25m)
• Peter Corcoran, Head of Corporate Banking (for businesses with an annual turnover of more than £25m)
• Roger Bell, Head of Business Development
• Paul Reeves, Head of Private Banking

Brian said: “We have developed a team in the Midlands that is recognised for its ability and experience in working with businesses of all sizes to really understand their needs, the challenges they face, and what support we can offer.

“We are looking forward to supporting new and existing businesses as they grow and continue to play an important part in the Midlands economy.”

Brian started his career at sister company, Clydesdale Bank, in Prestwick, near Glasgow, before moving to a number of new positions within Yorkshire Bank, including Regional Credit Manager and Regional Business Manager, before becoming Regional Director in 2006.

He was appointed Regional Director for the wider West region in 2009, where he became responsible for all commercial and private banking.

Richard set-up Yorkshire Bank’s Financial Solutions Centres in the South West when he was Regional Director from 2005. Five years later, he moved to work alongside Brian as Assistant Regional Director covering the West region.

Paul Shephard, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank’s Director for Business and Private Banking, said: “Brian, Richard and the new Midlands team are all highly respected within the business community for their experience and genuine dedication to working with successful and growing businesses. Their appointments are an illustration of the Bank’s commitment to Midlands businesses.”

Earlier this month, Yorkshire Bank introduced a series of measures designed to help growing businesses – fee-free lending, a £1bn “Business Expansion Fund” and a new switching package with free day-to-day banking for businesses with an annual turnover up to £2m.

The “Growing Business” package of measures will provide new and additional support for businesses looking to start up, expand or switch their banking arrangements. This range of initiatives underlines the Banks’ commitment to help UK businesses grow under the Funding for Lending scheme.