Bath Building Society has appointed Joanne Evans as its first female chair as it enters a new phase in its 118-year history.
Joanne, pictured, joined the society’s board as a non-executive director in 2021 and has also chaired its risk committee.
Her career in financial services started as a management trainee at a building society, which led to a focus on risk management in financial services.
Since then has worked in senior positions at Barclays UK, Tesco Bank and industry regulator the Financial Services Authority.
She also has experience in the UK life and pension sector, having spent nearly 11 years at Canada Life in a range of roles.
For the past two-and-a-half years she has been a non-executive director UK life assurance company Mobius.
She takes over as Bath Building Society’s chair from Robert Derry-Evans, who has retired after eight years in the post, and as the mutual looks to a new era spurred on by investment in transformation based on digital technology.
Bath Building Society chief executive Kevin Gray said: “We are delighted that Joanne has moved from being a non-executive director to being the first female chair in our history.
“She has been with the society just over two years and has brought a wealth of risk and regulatory knowledge with her already.
“I look forward to working with her as the society aims to significantly ramp up its investment in people, process and technology over the next two years in order to deliver productivity benefits and to improve customer journeys.”
The society, which has more than 20,000 savers and 1,200 mortgage customers, has said its focus this year will be on digital transformation.
Established in 1904 to offer savings and mortgages to the local community, it today employs more than 70 staff in its Queen Square head office and two branches in the city.
