Like a number of my colleagues, I spent many years (27) in Midland/HSBC undertaking varied roles in retail banking, business and corporate banking as well as regional positions across the South West and London.

I spent the last 10 years of my banking career as a Senior Commercial Manager in Devon and Cornwall where I have lived for the last 16 years or so – not a bad choice ! Since leaving in 2012 I have been busy doing what I felt were the good parts of being a “proper bank manager” : assisting numerous businesses in raising funds and providing practical and strategic advice to help them survive, thrive and move forward. Typical deals involve property funding short or long term for businesses and pension funds, business acquisitions and funding working capital needs. I work under the philosophy that there is no such thing as a stupid questions – our clients do what they do and we do what we do. Every transaction is a journey and I believe that it is my role to see my clients through it.

I cannot claim to have played Rugby at Twickenham but my best claims to fame are that I was Margaret Thatcher’s bank manager for a while and I have appeared in the credits of a film (that not many people have watched !)

Personally, my life revolves around our to grown up children, grandchildren and our niece who has lived with us since she was 5 years old but is now a teenager (the same age as our granddaughter). The rest of my time is taken up by a never ending project to extend our home outwards and upwards and hoping that we will get it completed before Nicola leaves me !