New post creates the first female leadership duo in the mutual's history
Beverley Building Society has appointed Karen Wint (pictured left) as its new chair, taking over the role from Stuart Purdy.
Wint, who was previously chair of the building society’s risk committee and a member of the audit and compliance committee, brings with her 30 years of experience in the mutual sector. She will also serve as a member of the people and culture committee.
Wint joins the society’s chief executive, Janet Bedford (right in picture), to become the Beverley’s first female leadership duo in its 157-year history.
“I’m honoured to have been selected as chair of the Beverley’s board, and proud to be part of another step forward for gender equality,” Wint said. “I’d like to thank Stuart for his exceptional service and contribution, which has created a solid foundation from which to build on.
Discover the ways on how we can support gender equality in the workplace by reading this article.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with Janet and the rest of the board to further strengthen our reputation as an innovative mutual that offers great value savings and mortgage products, underpinned by outstanding service and a well-established community presence.
“The Society’s strong capital position and its willingness to embrace change feeds into an ambitious growth strategy for the Society and I’m excited to be part of this journey.”
Last October, the Beverley added further experience and strength to its board with the appointment of four non-executive directors.
Under the leadership of Bedford, in her first year as CEO, the Beverley has been able to navigate last year’s period of turbulence and deliver healthy pre-tax profits of £759,000. As part of a strategic plan to drive its mortgage proposition to significantly higher levels, the mutual also increased new mortgage lending to £35 million in 2022, up from just £19 million of the previous year prior.
“I’m also hugely proud that, in my first year leading the Beverley, we have worked exceptionally hard as a team to deliver such significant results in a challenging environment, but as importantly, as reinforced by our feedback, an exceptional level of customer satisfaction,” Bedford said. “I’m confident that we will continue to develop highly competitive mortgage and savings propositions and expand our presence as the building society of choice in the East Riding and beyond.
“This represents a uniquely exciting time for the society and, as well as adding my sincere thanks to Stuart for his remarkable guidance over the last few years, I’d like to congratulate Karen in achieving the position of board chair. She is a worthy successor to Stuart and an invaluable asset to the business, and my hope is that our new leadership combination inspires other women in our industry to aim high.”
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