Darlington Building Society’s latest recruit to its executive team says he is excited about joining an organisation “with a strong track record for making a difference”.

Paul Edwards has joined the Society as Chief Risk Officer after building up a wealth of experience in the finance sector over more than 20 years. He was previously Head of Enterprise Risk at Newcastle Building Society.

Father-of-two Paul said: “My ambition was to work towards an executive role as Chief Risk Officer, and I feel ready to take that step, but I wouldn’t have moved if it hadn’t been to an organisation that was aligned with my values and objectives.

“It needed to be a forward-thinking organisation, with appropriate sense of ambition, a passion for mutuality, and a commitment to making a difference. That’s what I’ve found with Darlington Building Society.

“It genuinely puts its members at the heart of everything it does, and I’m excited about having the opportunity to help shape a strategy that helps us to grow.”

Paul was born in Newport, South Wales, where his mum and dad, Sue and Don, ran a family business.

His early ambition was to be a rugby player but, although playing to a good level, he didn’t make it as a professional, and worked for the family business for a while before going travelling.

During that time, he met his future wife, who was from Newcastle, and that led to him relocating to the North East, where he joined Newcastle Building Society in 2002, starting as a mortgage applications processor and going on to fill a variety of other roles.

An opportunity to move into the financial crime team arose, and it became an area of specialism, leading to him becoming Financial Crime Manager.

A six-month secondment followed in risk and compliance, which turned into a permanent role, before he decided to widen his experience by joining accounting company, EY, becoming part of their Managed Services Team.

He became Managed Service Manager and gained “great experience” working closely with tier one national and international banks, improving risk management controls, training and procedures.

After two years with EY, which involved spending time in London, Paul wanted to refocus on financial services in the North East, so he joined Virgin Money as part of their financial crime team.

In 2017, he was approached by Newcastle Building Society for the new role of Head of Conduct Risk and Compliance, including responsibility for financial crime and, three years later, he was promoted to Head of Enterprise Risk.

Now Paul, who volunteers as a qualified rugby union coach with Northern Rugby Club, in Gosforth, is part of the executive team at Darlington Building Society.

“It’s a great place to be because the Society is making a difference in so many ways – supporting home ownership, giving people a safe place to save, creating employment opportunities and career pathways, and investing in the community through volunteering and the pledge to donate 5% of its profits to good causes,” he said.

“Darlington Building Society has been doing that since 1856 and it’s my job now to contribute to a strategy that ensures we can carry on providing that support for generations to come.”

The Society’s Chief Executive, Andrew Craddock, said: “We are delighted that someone with Paul’s experience and knowledge is joining the executive team in this crucial part of the business.”