Scottish fintech Alba appoints experienced chairman

by James · October 18, 2022

Scottish fintech firm AlbaCo (Alba) has appointed banking and finance director, Graeme Jones, as its new chairman.

A qualified fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute ACII, Jones brings experience to the existing Alba team having spent the last four decades undertaking a number of senior operational roles in high-profile organizations such as Standard Life, RBS, Aviva Life and Experian.

Most recently, as CEO of Scottish Financial Enterprises, Jones oversaw strong growth in both membership and revenue in the business, alongside the establishment of FinTech Scotland which is now seen as a gateway to international expansion for Scottish fintech companies.

In addition, Jones previously founded the SFE Young Professionals Network and produced the business’s first strategy for Scottish Financial Services and Prospectus.

Scots fintech Alba’s new chairman, Jones, commented: “I’m really pleased to be joining the highly motivated team at Alba which aims to launch the first new bank in the West of Scotland for over 130 years.

“Throughout my career I have been passionate about giving innovative and driven SMEs the support they need to continue to be the backbone of the UK economy and I am confident that Alba, with its focus on relationship banking, will do just that the.”

Glasgow-based Alba continues to work closely with both the PRA and FCA as the business moves ever closer to securing a banking license with short-term restrictions and ultimately becoming a fully operational, digital-first bank serving SMEs across Scotland and the British regions.

Table of Contents

Rod Ashley, chief executive of Alba, added: “While the past couple of years have undoubtedly been challenging as we, like so many businesses, have been affected by Covid-19 and the subsequent volatile economic climate, we believe this appointment represents our confidence in reaching the next important step in our journey to become a fully licensed SME-focused bank.

“Graeme has an impressive track record in the financial services industry and is the perfect addition to our existing team as we know he shares our steadfast determination to become a new bank with a clear vision and purpose – to support SMEs as they develop their ambitions , grows and realizes its potential.”

Get the latest news from DIGIT directly in your inbox

Our newsletter covers the latest technology and IT news from Scotland and beyond, as well as in-depth features and exclusive interviews with leading figures and rising stars.

To subscribe, click here.