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Insider UK
Business
Peter A Walker

Shared branch banking firm strengthens leadership team

OneBanks Hub has made two appointments to its leadership team as it prepares to scale up to a national roll-out later this year.

Louise Smith, the chair of Innovate Finance, has joined the board as a non-executive director.

She has extensive experience in the UK banking and fintech sector, including at both NatWest and Barclays, and is a former chief digital officer of Lloyd’s of London. Since 2016, she has served as the Treasury's fintech envoy to Scotland.

At the start of August, Marianne 'Mara' Breen-Hart will become chief operating officer. She joins from PwC, where she was chief of staff in the UK risk business, responsible for strategy and execution. She was previously director of technology data and analytics at the firm.

Prior to PwC, Breen-Hart spent more than 10 years as a technology and strategy consultant at Accenture. She grew up near to Kilwinning in North Ayrshire, the site of one of OneBanks Hub’s pilot shared banking kiosks.

Breen-Hart will be working alongside founder and chief executive Duncan Cockburn, chief technology officer Andy Wilmot and recently-appointed head of people Tracey MacLennan, as part of a strengthened management team.

The Glasgow-based company currently operates three pilot kiosks in Co-op supermarkets in Scottish towns Kilwinning, Lochgelly and Denny, where there are no bank branches.

Having showcased these kiosks, it expects to participate in a tender process for a larger roll out of banking hubs for the major UK banks, due to take place in the second half of 2022.

Jonathan Hughes, chair of OneBanks Hub, said: “I am tremendously excited to welcome Louise and Mara to OneBanks Hub at this crucial time.

“Their experience in the digital transformation of financial services will be invaluable as we prepare to take a significant role in the provision of everyday banking services in the UK.”

Cockburn added: “As we grow and mature, we need to have a first-class board and management team, and bringing Louise and Mara on board will ensure that we have what we need to make the difference we know we can make.

“Their backgrounds in technology, innovation and delivery will prove invaluable as we enter the next exciting stage of our development.”

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