Skipton International has appointed Eric Barnett (pictured) as its chair, subject to regulatory approval.
Barnett has had a career spanning 35 years in financial services, and “brings a wealth of experience to Skipton International”.
He was the chief executive of SG Kleinwort Hambros Bank, the private banking and wealth management business for the UK, Channel Islands and Gibraltar for Société Générale, for around a decade.
He has also served as chair for several business and serves as a non-executive director for several financial services firms.
Barnett takes over from Bobby Ndawula, who has been with Skipton Building Society for nearly 21 years and will stay on with the mutual, most recently as chief financial officer and has been Skipton International chair for around three years.
Gwyn Burr, Skipton Group’s chair, said: “I’m very pleased to welcome Eric as the new chair of Skipton International. He joins us with impressive career experience spanning executive roles across financial services, together with first-hand knowledge and understanding of the Channel Islands. Eric’s experience and ability will further strengthen Skipton International and prove a valuable asset for the wider Skipton Group.
“I would like to thank Bobby Ndawula, the outgoing Skipton International chair, for his service and stewardship over the last three years.”
Barnett added: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at Skipton International and returning to Guernsey. The business has great ambition, a growing leadership team, and strong values that are rooted in the island. I’m very much looking forward to working with the team to further build on all its success.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
