A finance sector expert with a wealth of experience in customer care and community engagement has been appointed as the new Chair of Darlington Building Society.
Rachel Court will succeed Jack Cullen when he steps down in April after serving for 10 years on the board, including the last seven as Chair.
Rachel, currently chair of Leek Building Society, in Staffordshire, brings more than 30 years’ experience in the mutual sector.
Her service in the wider community includes being a magistrate for the past ten years, as well as a college governor, and filling leadership roles on public health bodies and an education charity.
“I’m thrilled to have been appointed as the next Chair of Darlington Building Society – an organisation whose mutual values and community ethos shine through,” said Rachel.
A proud Yorkshirewoman, she hails from Halifax and was the first member of her family to go to university, graduating in law from Oxford.
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However, she chose not to pursue a career in law, instead joining a graduate trainee programme with K Shoes, in Kendal, rising to a management position in manufacturing.
Rachel’s first step into the finance sector was as assistant manager in the mortgage arrears department with Yorkshire Building Society in 1991.
She went on to spend the next 22 years at the Yorkshire, working in variety of operational areas, leading to her becoming General Manager, with responsibility for human resources and customer services. That move coincided with the global financial crash of 2007, resulting in Rachel managing a series of mergers and integrations.
Eager to experience the “family feel” of regional building societies, Rachel took her first step as a non-executive director when she joined the board of Leek Building Society in 2014, becoming Chair two years later.
Her other roles have included serving as non-executive director of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; chairing the NHS Pension Board; and leading a charity supporting excluded children.
Rachel, a mother-of-two, will join Darlington Building Society as Chair when Jack Cullen steps down after the annual general meeting next April.
“I’m passionate about the role regional building societies play in their local areas, and I very much look forward to building on the fantastic work Jack and the board have done in recent years to modernise and grow the Darlington,” she said.
“The Society has built a superb platform on which to base the next phase of its development and I’m excited by the prospect of working with an outstanding team.”
Jack Cullen said: “Not only is Rachel an experienced Chair, she also has significant knowledge of the mutual sector, and I’m confident she will continue to ensure Darlington Building Society provides the best possible support to members, communities, and colleagues.
“I have genuinely loved every minute of my time with Darlington Building Society. We have invested heavily in our systems, processes, people and community, resulting in us becoming a resilient, sustainable, efficient and profitable business.
“I’m confident that with Rachel as Chair, the Society will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Darlington Building Society Chief Executive, Andrew Craddock, described Rachel as “the perfect fit”, adding: “She brings outstanding experience and specialist knowledge that will enable us to build on the strong foundations laid under Jack’s leadership.”
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