Cambridge & Counties Bank appoints Rachel Curtis to board of directors
Cambridge & Counties Bank has appointed Rachel Curtis-Bowen to its board of directors. Rachel joined Cambridge & Counties Bank prior to its launch in 2012 as head of marketing and has been promoted to executive director – customer experience in reflection of her outstanding contribution to the bank’s rapid growth.
The challenger bank has now lent more than £350m to small and medium sized businesses and experienced property investors and holds over £400m of deposits for organisations.
Prior to joining Cambridge & Counties Bank, Rachel was at Alliance & Leicester where she was a branch manager before taking a number of roles in sales and marketing. She previously worked at the Halifax in Leicester.
The new bank launched in 2012 and as the business bank has expanded – from eight staff at launch to nearly 80 now – Rachel’s seniority and responsibilities have also grown.
Rachel said: “I’m thrilled to be invited to join the board of the bank and to be given this opportunity to be a part of the team that determines the direction of the organisation I feel so passionate about, as I’ve been a part of building it from scratch.
“Cambridge & Counties is fully committed to taking a modern, fresh approach to banking, which is demonstrated through elements such as the flexible hours I am able to work. This enables me to strike a superb balance between my career and time with my young family so that I feel I’m doing a great job of both – which I know is a difficult balance to achieve.”
A May 2015 study of challenger banks by KPMG found their board gender diversity lagging behind the big five banks. Female non-executive directors are very much in the minority and extremely few women are, like Rachel, executive directors.
Mike Kirsopp, chief executive officer said: “We are a forward looking board, conscious of the benefits of a diverse membership and Rachel combines considerable experience with a deep understanding of what our customers value.”