Supporting the next generation of bankers: Smart Futures programme

Sue has spent the past fifteen years in financial services, supporting private-equity backed firms through accelerated growth, mergers and acquisitions and leading complex integration and transformation programmes. She is one of 100 women awarded the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of a century of women's suffrage, and is currently serving her second term as an official UK Export Champion.

Sue’s career spans private and public services and both large and small organisations. She was previously Assistant Chief Executive, Communications & Consultation for Hackney Council, dealing with complex local issues as well as with the impact of national policy and working as part of the Olympic Host Boroughs to secure a meaningful local legacy from the Games in the run up to London 2012. This followed six years as Director of Communications for the University of Birmingham, one of the UK's leading research-led universities with an international student base. 

During this period, Sue also acted as media and public affairs lead for the Russell Group over the introduction of tuition fees; founded the Midlands’ Media Centre training academics, diplomats and business leaders in media skills and; struck a strategic alliance between the University and the BBC, securing a BBC Drama Village on campus. 

Before this, Sue was founding Editor of birminghampages.com, an early dotcom start-up owned by Chrysalis media. This followed five years as Director of Communications for one of the UK’s most senior Church of England Bishops, who was also a member of the House of Lords and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Envoy to the Vatican State. 

Sue began her marketing career helping Luton College of Higher Education to become a ‘challenger brand’ in higher education and achieve University status following earlier posts in scientific publishing. Sue is an English graduate from Cambridge University and has a second degree in the construction of gender in Shakespeare from the University of Durham. Sue is married and lives in East London with her family.

Sue began her marketing career helping Luton College of Higher Education to become a ‘challenger brand’ in higher education and achieve University status following earlier posts in medical and veterinary publishing. Sue is an English graduate from Cambridge University and has a second degree in the construction of gender in Shakespeare from the University of Durham. Sue is married and lives in East London with her family.

From 1986 to December 2004 Billy worked with RBS group. During this time he benefited from the “project Columbus change programme”. Was responsible for driving the Business Development (hunter/Farmer) pilot within banking. Latterly held a regional management role in Central Scotland responsible for Retail, Private, Business segments and included Local Operations. Full Balance sheet and profit and loss responsibility.

Billy joined Clydesdale Bank in January 2005 to lead a team of commercial, private and specialist managers and was promoted to Managing Partner for Central Scotland responsible for distribution model deliverables across 4 offices and 102 staff. In 2010 was responsible for a business development team across Scotland. Additional national responsibilities included creation of Talent Academy, Management Assurance reporting on Commercial portfolio and review of asset finance proposition.

During October 2015 billy joined AIB to support the growth plans of AIB Bank in GB. This involved the creation of a challenger business bank with niche sector focus. Billy currently operates as Chief of Staff, working directly with the Managing Director in UK.

MBA, Strathclyde University, Glasgow – Dissertation on Successful Criteria for Joint Venture Initiatives (2008-2011) Chartered Banker

Billy is married to Debbie and they enjoy three daughters, aged 22, 13 & 11. Their leisure time is spent walking the hills of Scotland with their dog Sanna.

I started my career as a Mortgage Underwriter, specialising in sub-prime risk assessment before making the move in retail banking at Lloyds as a Personal Banking Manager. Over the next few years I started to specialise and took on the position of Mortgage & Protection Consultant, a role that saw me join Nationwide Building Society. Having enjoyed my time providing advice and guidance to a wide demographic of customers, I had the passion to support others starting their journey on a similar career path - accepting a secondment into the Regulated Training Team. Very quickly, I realised I’d found my vocation and converted the role to a permanent basis. After 18 months helping onboard and upskill new Mortgage Consultants and Area Managers I secured my first leadership role, leading a team of training professionals dedicated to the maintenance of competency across our regulated functions. Over the next 5 years this role diversified significantly, providing exposure and accountability to leadership development, transformational change and talent management. After a rewarding 9 years I made the difficult decision to leave Nationwide as I wanted to experience the charitable sector, accepting a position as Leadership and Talent Partner at a National Housing Association. 

This was an interesting and challenging environment which helped broaden my perspective, before returning to FS with Aldermore in March 2021 as Talent & Early Careers Partner. My role at Aldermore has allowed me to leverage all my career experience to date as we seek to build a best-in-class Talent Strategy. 

Key to my progression has been a continuous appetite for learning having undertaken several FS qualifications (CeSRE, CeMAP & CertRBCB), benchmarking my HR knowledge (Level 5 CIPD) and specialising in areas of interest such as psychometric assessment (Personality Profiling & Trait Emotional Intelligence Accredited Practitioner). 

A proud Scouser, Everton fan and running enthusiast.