Spokespeople
Having our say on the latest hot topics
Spokespeople
Yorkshire Building Society can provide expert commentary and opinion on a wide range of personal finance, economic and building society sector topics. All the below spokespeople can be contacted via the Media Relations team at pressoffice@ybs.co.uk.
Introducing our spokespeople
Susan Allen
Chief Executive
Susan was appointed as Chief Executive at the Yorkshire in March 2023.
She has more than 25 years' experience in financial services having held senior executive positions at a number of large retail banks in the UK.
She has previously been responsible for leading and supporting colleagues in frontline teams to deliver a differentiated customer experience, and supported millions of customers with a nationwide network of branches and customer contact centres.
Susan is also a former Board member of UK Finance.
She has more than 25 years' experience in financial services having held senior executive positions at a number of large retail banks in the UK.
She has previously been responsible for leading and supporting colleagues in frontline teams to deliver a differentiated customer experience, and supported millions of customers with a nationwide network of branches and customer contact centres.
Susan is also a former Board member of UK Finance.
Jeremy Duncombe
Director of Mortgage Distribution and Managing Director at Accord Mortgages, our intermediary lender
Jeremy has been with the Society since March 2018, having worked in the mortgage market for over 20 years. He has worked in senior management roles for several lenders and distributers, and has also worked as an advisor and a broker. Prior to joining the Yorkshire he was Director of Legal & General Mortgage Club.
Jeremy is responsible for the external delivery of the Society’s mortgage propositions and is available for comment on a number of topics across the housing market, including residential and buy-to-let mortgages, service and distribution. He is also Chair of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), the trade association that represents the views and interests of UK mortgage lenders involved in the generation of mortgage business via professional financial intermediaries.
Tom Simpson
Managing Director of Homes
Tom is our Managing Director of Homes, a role that brings together mortgage products and propositions, mortgage advice, Accord intermediary distribution, and our commercial lending business. This strategic area is focused on enabling homeownership for more people and delivering a seamless experience for customers and brokers across all aspects of home buying and ownership.
Prior to this appointment, Tom served as Director of Commercial Lending since 2019, where he led the launch of YBS Commercial Mortgages and drove its significant expansion. He also previously held the position of Interim Commercial Officer, building on a wealth of experience in financial services that includes over a decade in senior risk roles.
Tom’s focus remains firmly on ensuring that the strategic direction of Yorkshire Building Society aligns through every touchpoint to best serve customer and broker needs.
He is available for comment on a range of topics, including the housing market, first-time buyer trends, corporate and specialist buy-to-let, the commercial investment market, and broader trends in home buying and mortgage advice.
Max Shepherd
Group Economist
Max joined Yorkshire Building Society in 2023 as Group Economist, responsible for economic forecasting and commentary.
Before that he worked for Skipton Building Society in various Treasury roles, lastly in wholesale funding. He is a graduate in Finance and Economics and has a chartered accountancy qualification.
Max is available to comment on anything relating to the economy or wider markets.
Tom Ranger
Chief Financial Officer
Tom is our Chief Financial Officer, a role that brings together oversight of financial and corporate strategy, sustainability, treasury operations and capital management to ensure the society’s long-term stability and growth. This strategic area is focused on maintaining robust financial resilience while supporting the society’s purpose and member needs in a rapidly changing economic environment.
Tom has more than 25 years of experience in financial services and senior leadership roles, and prior to joining Yorkshire Building Society, he was Group Treasurer at Santander UK plc, where he led liquidity and funding strategies across the group.
Tom’s focus remains firmly on ensuring that the society’s financial direction aligns with its strategic priorities, delivering value and security for members while navigating market volatility and regulatory change.
He is available for comment on topics such as the society’s financial performance and outlook, the impact of macroeconomic trends on mutuals and the wider financial sector, market conditions including interest rate movements and liquidity challenges, and broader economic developments affecting financial institutions and their customers.
Chris Irwin
Director of Customer Performance
Chris has recently been appointed Director of Customer Performance, a newly created role that will provide a single view of the balance sheet and enable faster, data-driven decisions across both sides of the business—delivering great rates for savers while responding quickly to mortgage market conditions with competitive pricing and product strategies.
Previously, as Director of Savings, Chris was at the forefront of delivering outstanding value for savings members. Over the past decade, he ensured customers benefited from higher-than-average market rates, introduced purposeful products, and championed issues close to consumers’ hearts—such as advocating for the cash ISA and pushing for financial education to be included in the national curriculum.
Chris has worked in financial services for over 18 years and joined YBS in 2012, holding several senior roles including Director of Mortgages.
An expert in his field, Chris is passionate about making things easy and simple for customers while delivering long-term value. He is available to comment on topics including pricing, trading, and market insights across mortgages and savings.
Tina Hughes
Director of Savings and Digital
Tina is Yorkshire Building Society’s Director of Savings and Digital, a role that combines responsibility for savings and digital services to support the Society’s ambition to be the home of people’s savings. She leads the delivery of straightforward, rewarding products that help customers achieve their financial goals and oversees the development of our digital capabilities, ensuring people can manage their savings with ease and simplicity.
Since joining Yorkshire Building Society in 2018, Tina has held a series of senior leadership roles, building expertise across savings, marketing, digital and external affairs.
With more than 20 years’ experience in financial services, Tina is a passionate consumer advocate, committed to delivering relevant products and services that help people save for their futures and own their own homes. She is also a strong advocate for women in digital and technology roles, as well as across financial services more broadly. Tina is available to comment on anything savings-related, including financial wellbeing along with anything connected to digital journeys.