Paul Denton, chief executive of Scottish Building Society has been elected President of The Chartered Banker Institute , the first time in the body’s near 150-year history that a building society representative has held the post.
The Chartered Banker Institute is a global industry body headquartered in Scotland which supports the development and advancement of banking skills, ethics and leadership.
The Chartered Banker Institute will enter its 150th year in 2025 and it will have the honour of celebrating this landmark by hosting the World Conference of Banking Institutes in Edinburgh, in what will be a year celebrating the organisation and the city’s role in global finance.
The appointment of a representative from a mutual organisation to the top role is a significant moment and mirrors the growing influence that building societies are having on the financial sector at the moment.
Mr Denton began his career in financial services, straight from school, joining Royal Bank of Scotland at their Forfar branch. His early ability was quickly recognised with a series of promotions eventually leading him to become Head of Sales for RBS and subsequently NatWest. His reputation for turning around financial performance was well forged when he was headhunted into Co-op Bank where he would go on to manage branch mortgage and business portfolios transforming the department during that time. He joined Scottish Building Society in 2019 as CEO and has seen the organisation almost double its balance sheet in just his first four years in post.
Mr Denton is hugely influential across the wider industry, including representing Building Societies and Scotland on the UK Finance Mortgage Board and representing Building Societies on the FCA Small Business Practitioner Panel.
Speaking following his appointment, Mr Denton said: “Having been a member of the Chartered Banker Institute for over 35 years it is very special to have been elected President of this incredible institution.
“It is particularly momentous given I am the first chief executive of a mutual to have been elected to this post. As a proud champion of building societies my entire career, it is an honour which is very meaningful to me.
“I am incredibly proud to be a custodian of the Charter and a key focus for me is to re-establish Chartered Banker status across the banking sector especially given the history and heritage of this institution.”
Mr Dentons’ appointment follows his recent Lifetime Achievement Award from the Scottish Mortgage Sumit for services to the sector.
