Following 12 years in the role of Office Manager for Darlington Credit Union I am delighted to have been chosen to succeed Sue Cross as Chief Executive.
I have over 20 years of experience working in financial services, previously in Retail Banking and I am passionate about sharing best financial practices and combating financial exclusion. It has been an absolute joy to guide so many of our members on their journey to financial maturity. I have a natural thirst for knowledge and hope to encourage others to be as curious.
Outside of work I enjoy wandering along our beautiful coastline, reading and exploring new cities.
I have been a member of the board of DCU since it was formed and have been proud to see the growth and development over time. During the many changes and challenges, it has been a privilege to work with dedicated fellow board members and a great team of staff to meet the needs of our members. I have lived in Darlington since moving here with my young family over 30 years ago. My professional life began as an accountant, and I taught accounting and finance at Teesside University when I moved North.
My grandchildren are now the age my children were when I came to live here, so, having retired, I have great fun with them.
I joined the Board of Darlington Credit Union in October 2022. I'm eager to be part of a team that is committed to our members, and we really understand the challenges they are facing. Along with the team, CEO, and other Board members, one of the main areas I’m involved with is the implementation of regulatory changes coming along for all Credit Unions.
I took early retirement after 36 years in financial services and relocated to North Yorkshire. During my career, I had several different roles, including heading teams who looked after project implementation and debt management.
I've got a 2-year-old springer spaniel who keeps me busy. We both love spending time walking on the beaches or moors around North Yorkshire. There is so much to see and do in this area that I never get bored on our walks.
Born in Darlington, I attended Durham (BA Hons) then Newcastle (MPhil). I have worked at Whessoe, Darlington Rolling Mills, Cummins, researcher for Stephen Hughes, member of the European Parliament (1985 – 1988). I then worked for Durham County Council seconded to the NHS Child & Adolescence Mental Health Service before joining the NHS as a Clinical Team Manger. Retiring in 2011.
I served as Councillor for Eastbourne ward (1979 – 2019), & as Deputy Leader of the Council (1991 – 2011) & Leader (2011 – 2018). I was awarded an MBE for services to Policing & Local Government (2011) and made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough (2019).
As Leader & Deputy, I was always a strong supporter of DCU, Darlington was the first Local Authority to buy shares in their local Credit Union. Having retired from politics I wanted to remain involved in the life of the town, & DCU was an obvious choice.
I grew up in the West Midlands before studying at Bradford University. I worked all over the UK in Project and Retail Management roles. In 1997 I settled in Darlington becoming a Senior Sales Manager for a national retail chain. In 2019 I was elected as a Darlington Borough Councillor and joined the board of DCU.
My role as Board Chair is to oversee and coordinate strategic decision making. I work closely with other board members, our CEO, and branch staff to make sure that the future of DCU is secure and we provide services that are accessible and affordable. I am immensely proud to be supporting the work that DCU does in our community. The ethical foundation of DCU allows us to provide transformational services that no other financial institution can offer.
Outside of work I enjoy spending time in the countryside, gardening, growing food and riding my Dutch bike.
I joined the board in June 2023, I was keen to support DCU in whatever way I could as I am aware that times are tough for people generally and finance can often be a reason or cause of the challenging times.
I moved to Darlington in 1989 right at the beginning of the mobile phone revolution and enjoyed being part of a small company called Millicom that became Orange and is now EE. I moved into Financial Services in 2008 right in the middle of the financial crisis and spent 12 happy years at Barclays and Barclaycard taking care of teams who in turn looked after our customers. I have most recently started a role in Darlington Building Society who support my role in DCU as there is already a nice history of support between to the two companies.
I married a lady who was born and bred in Darlington and my three children were all born in Darlington Memorial, the town has been good to me and a great place to live and bring up our kids and I am passionate and dedicated to pay back all the great years in helping to improve in any way the services and solutions we provide through DCU.
