Santander UK plc has today announced the appointment of Michael Harte as Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Michael will oversee Santander UK’s business divisions and investments in the areas of technology and operations, networks, property and digital change management. His role will also include joint responsibility, with Sigga Sigurdardottir, for Customer & Innovation services to lead the digital transformation of the bank. Together they will look to build a team of talented leaders in digital and data customer services and business solutions.
Michael brings extensive international experience in financial services, having held senior technology and innovation positions at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Citigroup and PNC Financial Services. He joins from Barclays where he was the Group Head of Innovation and previously Group Head of Operations & Technology.
Michael will report to CEO Nathan Bostock and start his new role during the spring of 2018.
Commenting on the appointment, Nathan Bostock, Chief Executive Officer of Santander said: “I am delighted to appoint Michael as our new Chief Operating Officer. He brings extensive knowledge and experience of both the banking and wider financial services sector, specifically the transformation and disruption occurring across products and business models. Michael will be pivotal in delivering our ambitious innovation agenda and our digital transformation, creating a more agile organisation that is responsive to our customer needs and market leading innovation.”
Commenting on his new role Michael Harte said: “Santander is widely regarded as a leader in customer service, design, data and digital services - particularly for creating customer value through innovation. With major shifts in platforms and services, it is an exciting time to be at the forefront of this change and to be able to work with the very best to create value for all the customers and communities we serve.”
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Notes to editors
Photograph available on request.
Michael Harte biography:
2016 - present Group Head of Innovation;
2014 - 2016 Group Head of Operations and Technology; Barclays
2009 - 2014 Group Executive, Enterprise Services Chief Information Officer;
2006 - 2009 Chief Information Officer Commonwealth Bank of Australia;
2001 - 2006 Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer; PNC Financial Services
1996 - 2001 Vice President, Information Technology; Citibank/Citigroup
About us:
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 30 June 2017, the bank serves around 14 million active customers with c19,500 employees and operates through 826 branches (which includes 61 university branches) and 65 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.
Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain. It has a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas, and is among the world’s top banks by market capitalization. At the end of June 2017, Banco Santander had EUR 1.65 trillion in managed funds, 131 million customers, 13,800 branches and 200,000 employees. Banco Santander made attributable profit of EUR 3.6 billion in the first half of 2017, an increase of 24% compared to the same period last year.
Media Enquiries
Andy Smith T: 020 7756 4212 M: 07824 473 338 E: andy.g.smith@santander.co.uk
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