There is a new face at the top of the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), with the announcement on 10 September that Noreen Doyle has taken over as chair.
She replaces Sir Nigel Wicks, who for the past three years has been heavily engaged in implementing reforms across the banking landscape, in response to public concerns over ethical standards in the industry.
ACT members will be delighted to learn that Doyle arrives in the role freighted with extensive treasury experience: in addition to her role as vice chair of Credit Suisse Group and chair of Credit Suisse International, she sits on the advisory panels of two Macquarie infrastructure funds.
From 2001 to 2005, Doyle served as first vice president and head of the banking department at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), heading up its Operations Committee.
In that role, she worked closely with governments and regulators to boost the capabilities of the banking system in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, with the aim of promoting lending to emerging SMEs in those regions.
Up to the beginning of her time at the EBRD, Doyle enjoyed a distinguished career at Bankers Trust Company (now Deutsche Bank), where she specialised in oil, gas and mining, along with leveraged finance.
Alongside her Credit Suisse roles, Doyle is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and currently serves as patron of Women in Banking and Finance. According to the BBA, Doyle’s “understanding of the needs of challenger banks as well as small business in the UK will be relevant to many BBA members”.
Welcoming Doyle into the role, BBA chief executive Anthony Browne said: “I am delighted that Noreen has agreed to become the new chair of the British Bankers’ Association. She brings a wealth of experience to the role, which will help our industry navigate the challenges ahead.”
He added: “I would also like to thank Sir Nigel Wicks for his tireless work on behalf of the industry, much of which went above and beyond what was asked of him. He has been a consistent advocate of change and he will leave the BBA and the banking industry in a much better place than when he arrived in 2012.
“I look forward to working with Noreen as we take the BBA forward and strive to provide a world-class service to the UK’s leading export industry.”
Doyle herself commented: “This is a time of great challenge, but also great opportunity for the British banking industry – so I am honoured to be appointed as the new BBA chair.
“Rebuilding the trust of customers, driving up standards in the industry and working with government and regulators to ensure our banks remain globally competitive are some of the issues I look forward to working on with Anthony Browne and his team.”