Directors' Column

Welcome to our newest Director

Our Board has a new Director, Mark Devadason, and we are very pleased to welcome him on board. The decision to appoint a person to our Board is a serious and complex business. As you can imagine there is a number of considerations we take into account when we choose a director. At one level we consider technical expertise and experience and ensure these qualifications are currently required according to the matrix of skills and competencies we have crafted to ensure a relevant, diverse and competent team. Mark has had a distinguished career in banking over 30 years in nine countries including the roles of CEO of Standard Chartered Bank in Japan and Group Head of Sustainability Standard Chartered Bank PLC.

What is also critical is the cultural match. Does the new Director understand and have a commitment to the principles and values that are the bedrock foundations of a mutual bank like ours? Is there overt evidence of a commitment to caring for our Members – the people who build community through their dedication to providing for and supporting others. This is another strong dimension for Mark. He is the current Chairman of the International Board of the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation which is based on changing the lives of thousands of destitute and extremely poor street children in Vietnam and Mongolia. He was also a Director and Senior Advisor to the Asia of Business for Social Responsibility a global not-for-profit sustainability consultancy based in San Francisco.

Needless to say, Mark’s induction has been somewhat problematic considering its timing and the outbreak of COVID-19 and resultant impact on social contact but we hope you will have the opportunity to meet him in person before long and he will personally introduce himself in a forth-coming eSlate column.

Bernie Lloyd
Chair of Board