Last checked at 2 Feb 2016 10:00
Date: 2 February 2016
No embargo
JOE GARNER TO JOIN NATIONWIDE AS NEXT CEO ON 5 APRIL 2016
Further to the announcement made in November 2015 that Joe Garner will become the next Chief Executive of Nationwide Building Society, the Society has today confirmed that Mr Garner will take up his new role on 5 April 2016.
Graham Beale, who announced his decision to retire from his role as Chief Executive of Nationwide last year, will step down as Chief Executive on 4 April 2016.
Joe Garner joins Nationwide from BT Group where he is Chief Executive of Openreach, a position he has held since early 2014. Prior to that he was Deputy Chief Executive of HSBC Bank PLC and Head of HSBC in the UK, roles which included responsibility for all of HSBC's retail and commercial banking business, including Marks and Spencer Bank, First Direct and The John Lewis Partnership Card. He has also held senior positions at Dixons Stores Group and spent the early part of his career at Procter and Gamble. Joe was the Chair of the FSA Practitioner Panel from 2011-2013 and a Non-Executive Director of the Financial Ombudsman Service from 2007-2010.
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For further information please contact:
Alan Oliver, 01793 655287, alanm.oliver@nationwide.co.uk
Stuart Williamson, 01793 654765, stuart.williamson@nationwide.co.uk
Notes to editors
Joe Garner Biography
Joe Garner has a 20 year career spanning financial services at HSBC, telecommunications at BT, consumer goods at Procter and Gamble and retailing at Dixons. Wherever he has worked, Joe's focus has been on improving customer satisfaction to drive business success.
In his time running HSBC's UK bank, he built one of the best-rated banks for service on the High Street, looking after 15 million personal and business customers and a UK balance sheet of over £250 billion. He was also responsible for Marks and Spencer Bank, First Direct and The John Lewis Partnership Card. During his time at HSBC Joe completed the re-design and refurbishment of nearly 1,000 branches, re-engineered the bank's internet and telephone proposition and invested in innovative customer propositions.
At Openreach he leads an organisation with more than 30,000 employees who are responsible for installing and maintaining the communications infrastructure that links homes and business to their service provider's network.
Joe is married with a young son. Outside work, he is an enthusiastic triathlete and Chairman of the British Triathlon Foundation Trust.
About Nationwide Building Society
Nationwide is the world's largest building society as well as the second largest savings and mortgages provider in the UK. It is also a major provider of current accounts, credit cards, ISAs and personal loans. Nationwide has around 15 million members. Customers can manage their finances in a branch, on the telephone, internet and post. The Society has around 15,000 employees. Nationwide's head office is in Swindon with administration centres based in Northampton, Bournemouth and Dunfermline. The Society also has a number of call centres across the UK.