Santander UK today announced the appointment of Joanne Preston as Managing Director, Client Coverage and Ben Stephenson as Managing Director, Product and Origination within the Corporate and Commercial Bank.
Stepping into her new role as Managing Director, Client Coverage, Joanne will manage teams covering corporate clients, commercial clients, Commercial Direct & client services, bringing together all coverage teams focussed on trading businesses.
Joanne’s career in Corporate and Commercial Banking and Financial Institutions Groups spans over 25 years. Prior to joining Santander UK, Joanne was the Global Network Banking Head for Citi’s Commercial Bank, leading a team of over 300 bankers in more than 60 countries. Her previous roles also include Head of Specialist Finance at Barclays International Corporate Banking.
Ben Stephenson will join as Managing Director, Product & Origination, a new role which brings together Business Development, FX & Rates, Invoice Finance, Trade Finance, Transactional Banking & Liabilities and Multinationals. Ben has over 20 years of experience, including being Managing Director for Specialist Commercial Banking Sales at Lloyds Banking Group, responsible for over 400 specialists supporting Corporate and Commercial businesses.
John Baldwin, CEO at Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking said: “I am delighted to welcome Joanne and Ben to the team at a time of strong growth for our business. Both bring a huge amount of experience, leading large teams focussed on our target markets: Joanne has extensive knowledge of working with international clients and Ben, a proven track record of generating growth.”
Joanne Preston, Managing Director, Client Coverage, Santander UK said: “I’m pleased to be joining the bank at such an exciting stage of growth. Strong client relationships are integral to quality banking, and I look forward to working with the teams across corporate and commercial to deliver long-term tailored solutions and value for our clients.”
Ben Stephenson, Managing Director, Product & Origination, Santander UK said: “I’m excited to bring my experience to Santander and combine it with the bank’s relationship-focused approach. I look forward to helping deepen client engagement, getting to know the teams and growing the business together in this next chapter.”
Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking (CCB) combines its network of local relationship teams and product specialists with the global reach of the international banking group to give its clients the insights, services, and tools they need to grow. In 2025 the bank increased its lending by £1bn and grew deposits by £2.3bn.
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Notes to Editors
• Joanne Preston and Ben Stephenson will start their new roles on 1st June 2026.
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. The bank serves its customers via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the FCA and the PRA in the UK. Santander UK plc customers’ eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS in the UK.
Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking (CCB) supports businesses ranging from SMEs to Mid-sized Businesses and Large Corporates across all sectors and regions of the UK. As part of Santander Group, CCB combines its network of local relationship teams and product specialists with the global reach of the international banking group to give its clients the insights, services, and tools they need to grow.
Banco Santander (SAN SM) is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group’s activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Openbank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments. This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. In the first quarter of 2026, Banco Santander had €1.4 trillion in total funds, more than 176 million customers, 6,600 branches and 185,000 employees.