CYBG hires leading business banker as its SME expansion continues

Sue Douthwaite

Sue Douthwaite, a leading business banker in the UK, will join the Glasgow-based lender in September as its small and medium business director.

She will be responsible for the development, implementation, communication and promotion of Business Banking products, proposition and partnerships, together with the management of the small and medium business portfolio. 

CYBG, which also comprises Yorkshire Bank, B and Virgin Money, is growing its business banking proposition and has committed to developing new capabilities and propositions for customers, as it continues to grow the business.

Ms Douthwaite, who lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has spent the last eight years at Santander and has been Managing Director for Santander Business Bank, responsible for the formation of the SME banking division, since 2016. Prior to this, she worked at RBS for 20 years, holding various roles, including Regional Director, Corporate Banking, NE and Scotland. 

At CYBG, Ms Douthwaite’s remit will also include the creation and execution of product strategies, ensuring competitive product positioning and the development of new solutions as a result of customer, market or regulatory changes. 

Ms Douthwaite said: “CYBG is an exciting bank with people and business at the heart of everything it does. I am delighted to be joining a team who share my passion for SME banking and am very much looking forward to supporting the development of the proposition. CYBG has the opportunity as a real challenger to shake up the market for business banking in the UK and it is great to be joining the team at this pivotal time.”

Throughout her career, Ms Douthwaite has taken an active role in creating strong cultures and encouraging collaborative environments to get the best out of her teams. In a previous role at Santander, she was responsible for a team of 600 colleagues, who were tasked with the transformation of cultural change within retail banking.  She is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion across the business community and plays an active role in Northern Power Women, a campaign to accelerate gender diversity in the North of England.

Ms Douthwaite added: ‘As someone whose roots are firmly fixed in the North I am also looking forward to supporting the progress of the Northern Powerhouse initiatives and working with a team who are committed to development of culture, skills and our local economies. I am a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion and have been actively involved in Women in Business for a number of years within the teams I have worked with, and also the wider business community. As a Northern Power Woman role model, I am really looking forward to continuing to progress and profile diversity challenges.” 

Sue will be based in Leeds, but with the business banking teams spread across the network, she will be travelling around the UK in her new role meeting customers. 

Gavin Opperman, group business banking director, at CYBG, said: “Sue joins CYBG with a breadth of knowledge and expertise that is going to be hugely beneficial as we grow our business banking operation and expand our support to SMEs the length and breadth of the UK. This is an exciting time in our industry and we have ambitious growth plans to increase our market share and enhance the experience for our customers. Sue will play a vital role in enabling us to delivery our strategy. 

“I am thrilled to announce Sue’s appointment as our Small and Medium Business Director and we are all looking forward to working with her when she starts at the start of September.”