Personal Finance Board.

Chair of the Remuneration & Nomination Committee and member of the Risk Committee, and the Audit Committee

Richard was appointed in January 2019 as independent non-executive director and Chair of the Personal Finance Board. He has significant banking experience having worked for the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group PLC (“CYBG”) for nearly 20 years.

His executive career was in television broadcasting with Granada TV and Yorkshire-Tyne Tees TV, where he retired as managing director of broadcasting for Yorkshire Television in 2000. Since then he has held chair, SID and NED roles in digital media, the NHS, regional development, innovation and higher education as well as banking and financial services.

In November 2020, Richard was appointed non-executive director and Group Chair of Places for People Group Limited, one of the UK’s largest providers of affordable homes including companies also specialising in multi tenure development, regeneration, property management, fund management, and care and leisure services. In 2017, he retired as Senior Independent Director of CYBG, a role in which he helped oversee the operational separation from National Australia Bank, and as Chair of the Risk Committee.  Richard previously served on the Board of National Australia Group Europe Ltd and on the Board’s Audit and Risk committees.He acted as a brand chair for Yorkshire Bank particularly with business customers.

Skills, experience & contribution:

• More than 25 years’ boardroom experience in a diverse range of companies and organisations across the private and public sectors.
• Experienced chair, senior independent director and risk committee chair.
• A strong focus on serving customers, communities and stakeholders and embracing accountability to them. Detailed knowledge of regulatory standards and expectations across a range of sectors.
• Led the establishment of our independent Personal Finance regulated board with strong risk and control and back and front book governance.

Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Risk Committee and Remuneration & Nomination Committee of Together Personal Finance. Jon also chairs the Combined Transformation Steering Committee.

Jon was appointed in January 2023 as an independent non-executive director on the Personal Finance Board and subsequently as Chair of the Personal Finance Audit Committee in June 2023. He brings 25 years' banking and finance experience to Together Personal Finance.

Jon was a founder and non-executive director at the fintech SME lending bank, Bank North, and was formerly a non-executive director at challenger bank, Zopa, and fintech bank, Atom Bank. He was a non-executive director of ING Australia in Sydney. Earlier in his career, Jon was CFO of the Australia Division of ANZ Bank and was Deputy CEO, COO and CFO of First Direct. Jon is a qualified chartered accountant and has an MBA from Henley Business School.

Jon brings a wealth business transformation experience to Together and chairs the Group’s Transformation Steering Committee, a combined board committee set up to ensure the successful delivery of the Group’s transformation programme, which is tasked with fundamentally changing the Group’s systems and processes.

Skills, experience & contribution

• Over 25 years financial services experience at executive and non-executive level.
• Deep knowledge of all aspects of retail and commercial banking.
• Strong technical knowledge of business transformation.

Chair of the Risk Committee and member of the Audit Committee and Remuneration & Nomination Committee.

John was appointed in January 2020 as an independent non-executive director on the Personal Finance Board and subsequently as Chair of the Personal Finance Risk Committee. Until recenrly, He was Chair of the Cumberland Building Society and Chair of DigCom UK Holdings Ltd, the UK subsidiary of PEXA Group Limited, an Australian listed company. John has over 40 years’ experience in financial services having previously been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Clydesdale Bank plc and a Member of the Boards of National Australia Group Europe Limited and Clydesdale Bank plc. He also held a number of senior executive roles at National Australia Bank including being a member of the Group Executive Committee and CEO of nabCapital, NAB’s global wholesale banking business, which included the group’s specialist lending activities.

Skills, experience & contribution:

• Extensive strategic, financial and management experience accumulated over a 40+ year career in banking and finance
• International boardroom experience in both executive and non-executive roles
• Experience chairing the Board of a tech start up business
• Successful leadership of company development both via organic growth and acquisition.

Gary joined Together in 1994 and was appointed to the Board in 2000; he was appointed Group Chief Financial Officer from 2001 to 2018. Gary, a chartered accountant, assumed the role of Managing Director and Chief Treasury Officer in 2018 to assist the Chief Executive Officer in helping to drive the strategy for the business and promote effective collaboration across the Group, whilst continuing to play a leading role in Treasury activity. Gary has 30 years’ experience managing finance and treasury functions and, prior to joining Together, he worked at a national accountancy practice. Following the departure of Gerald Grimes in March 2024, Gary took over the day-to-day responsibilities of the CEO Designate role on an interim basis, leading the executive team, chairing the Executive Committee, and determining any day-to-day decisions needed within the Group. Gary is leading the search for a new permanent CEO alongside Henry and the Remuneration & Nomination Committee.

Skills, experience & contribution:

• In-depth experience in asset and liability management, raising finance through debt capital markets, and developing and executing a funding strategy to support the growth of the business.
• Detailed understanding of the specialist lending sector and of the Group, its markets, its operations and its colleagues.
• Appointed director of all the Group’s subsidiary entities, and Independent Non-Executive Director of the Group’s regulated division, Together Personal Finance.
• A breadth of knowledge of the Group’s operations, having served multiple roles within the business including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations Officer, and Head of Human Resources.

John joined Together in July 2023 as Group Chief Operating Officer. He has over 18 years’ experience in regulated Financial Services firms, the majority in senior leadership roles. John started his career at The Cooperative Banking Group before moving to Capita Regulated Services where he was appointed to the role of Managing Director in 2019. He went on to join Target Group, initially as Group Chief Operating Officer before becoming Group Chief Executive Officer where he held SMF24 and SMF1 positions. John successfully led Target through a significant rebrand, including strengthening the Executive Committee and the Board.

Following an open recruitment process, John was appointed CEO of Personal Finance and SMF1 in September 2024 following regulatory approval.

Skills, experience & contribution:

• Detailed understanding of regulated Financial Services sector having operated at senior and executive levels in regulatory approved positions
• Strong focus on ethical leadership and delivering market leading colleague, customer, conduct, and client outcomes
• In-depth experience of people led service modernisation and large scale complex technology transformation

Paul joined Together Financial Services in January 2018 as the Finance Director for the Personal Finance division. He was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Together Personal Finance companies in March 2018. Paul joined Together Financial Services from Leek United Building Society, where he was a member of the Board of Directors and held the role of Finance Director since July 2014. Previously, he held various senior roles at the Co-operative Bank including Director of Group Finance. Paul has over 25 years’ experience as a Qualified Chartered Accountant.

Skills, experience & contribution:

• Many years’ experience of senior financial leadership in a number of regulated financial services firms. This has included over 10 years with Board and approved regulatory responsibilities
• Specialist experience on prudential and financial risk management including liquidity, funding and capital requirements
• Has direct and broad experience across all areas of finance including financial accounting, reporting, planning and analysis
• A breadth of understanding across all aspects of regulator expectations

Sarah joined Together in 2007 on the Graduate Management Scheme and progressed throughout the Group taking leadership positions in Customer Servicing, Project Management and Business Change. Following successful leadership of key regulatory change programmes, Sarah moved into a governance role in 2016, and was appointed as Group Company Secretary in May 2018. Sarah is a member of the Group’s DEI and Sustainability Committees and is a qualified Chartered Secretary.

Skills, experience & contribution:

• Successful implementation of robust corporate governance framework, identifying and delivering continuous improvements to corporate decision-making
• Strong background in delivering complex projects, with a proven record for excellent stakeholder management and facilitation skills
• Breadth of knowledge across the Group, with senior management level experience in operations, business change and regulatory project management
• Keen focus on colleague well-being, promoting the benefits of diversity in decision-making and increasing inclusion through governance