Executive Directors
Chief Officers
Introducing our team of Executive Directors
Susan Allen BA Hons (Econ), ACIB, ACT, OBE
Background and career
Susan has held a number of senior executive roles in some of the UK’s largest retail banks, including Barclays, Santander and Royal Bank of Scotland, leading and successfully delivering significant transformation and customer centric change.
Prior to joining YBS she was Head of Customer Transformation at Barclays where she was responsible for leading and supporting all colleagues in frontline teams to deliver a differentiated customer experience.
At Santander Susan was responsible for all of Santander's UK Retail and Business banking businesses, supporting 15 million customers and with a nationwide network of branches and customer contact centres, following her role as Chief Transformation Officer. Susan is also a former Board member of UK Finance.
Skills and experience
Susan has more than 25 years of experience in financial services across a wide range of different businesses and has been a proud champion of diversity and inclusivity throughout her career. She is also a member of the Building Societies Association Council.
Other roles
Director of TheCity UK and member of the Board of Trustees for the Alzheimer’s Society. Member of the Building Societies Association Council.
Tom Ranger BAHons
Background and career
Tom joined YBS from Santander UK plc, where he worked for sixteen years, the last seven of which he was UK Group Treasurer. In addition to his executive role, he was a Non-Executive Board Director of Santander Financial Services plc and Senior Officer of Santander International’s Jersey Branch. Tom started his career at Northern Rock plc in 1999, moving to Alliance & Leicester in 2007, just prior to their acquisition by Banco Santander SA plc in 2008.
Skills and experience
Tom has over 25 year’s experience in financial services with significant expertise across UK retail banking, specifically within finance and specifically Treasury, including markets, funding, capital and liquidity management, balance sheet management and planning, interest rate risk, pensions, stress testing and investor relations.
Tom is also Chair of Accord Mortgages Limited.
Introducing our team of Chief Officers
Richard Bowles MSc, BSc
Background and career
Richard has held a range of Risk leadership roles across many of the major banks, including Lloyds Banking Group and TSB. Prior to joining YBS Richard was Chief Risk Officer at Coventry Building Society. He is responsible for ensuring that there are appropriate procedures and capability for the management of all the Society’s risks, whether planned or unplanned. In addition to Risk, he is also responsible for the Legal, Compliance and Secretariat functions as well as regulatory relationships.
Skills and experience
Richard has over 15 years’ experience in retail banking and brings a broad range of risk management experience and a proven track record for delivering major transformation.
James Heslip
Background and career
James has been with YBS since 2016 in roles including the Group Lead for Compliance Advisory, Senior Manager in our Mortgage Advice Team and most recently as the Director of Compliance, MLRO and DPO responsible for second line oversight of Compliance and Conduct risk and management of the key regulatory relationships. Prior to this he has had roles in each of the three lines of defence at Financial Services institutions including Lloyds Banking Group and Aviva.
Skills and experience
James has a broad range of audit, risk and financial experience across each of the three lines of defence within the financial services industry. He is responsible for our ‘third line of defence’ in the Society’s risk management model, including evaluating how we manage our capital, liquidity, credit, operational and regulatory risks.
Fraser Ingram MBA, FCB
Background and career
Prior to joining YBS, Fraser was Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Virgin Money. Through his career he held a range of roles including Group Chief Operating Officer, Chief Information Officer and Innovation and Change Director. Before Virgin Money his roles included Chief Operating Officer at Kleinwort Benson and CIO of Citizens Bank in the USA.
Skills and experience
Fraser has a wide range of experience across businesses, functions and geographies – including business transformation, IT and change management.
Holly Rankin FCIPD
Background and career
Prior to joining Yorkshire Building Society, Holly has held roles at Barclays Bank, where she was Managing Director HR, and has previously held the roles of HR director, community banks and wealth at Lloyds Banking Group and Head of HR for the retail network at Santander UK.
Skills and experience
Holly has over 28 years' experience in human resources, including 16 years in financial services and brings a wealth of experience in shaping and leading strategic people plans, covering culture change, talent and succession, reward and leadership capability.
Simon Watson
Background and career
Simon joined YBS in 2025, bringing 14 years of senior leadership experience from NatWest Group. During his tenure there, he held key roles across personal and private banking, customer propositions, transformation, corporate affairs, and brand. Notably, Simon led significant business transformations, and the acquisition and scaling of the RoosterMoney youth banking business.
Skills and experience
Simon has extensive expertise in steering large-scale transformations within complex financial institutions. His strategic acumen is complemented by a strong focus on customer and colleague engagement to improve service delivery and performance. Simon’s leadership style is inclusive and results-driven, fostering high-performing teams and sustainable growth.
Who's on our Board
Meet the executive and non-executive directors who sit on our board and look after the financial interests of the Society and its members.
Corporate Governance
Read how corporate governance helps shape the way the Board protects the interests of the Society and its members.