One of Yorkshire’s leading bankers will contribute to the development of Huddersfield University’s Business School.
Sue Douthwaite, corporate banking director for Santander in the North of England and a former student at Huddersfield New College, has joined the advisory board of the university’s Business School.
During 2014, the university joined Santander’s global universities network, which links 72 institutions in the UK and more than 1,000 worldwide.
When the Dean of the Business School, Prof Chris Cowton, decided to recruit another key figure from the financial services sector to join his advisory board, he discussed the matter with Santander when Steve Pateman, its head of UK banking, delivered a guest lecture at the university.
Welcoming Sue’s decision to join the board, Prof Cowton said: “It means that the advisory board – which was established in 2010 – includes several members who come from the corporate sector, with major companies that include Syngenta, David Brown, Cummins and now Santander being among those represented.”
The board meets three times a year and has a membership of up to 20 individuals who hold or have held senior positions in business, the public or voluntary sectors or the professions. They advise the Business School on strategy, help to widen its national and international engagement, provide guidance on new opportunities and help to enhance its reputation and profile.
Mrs Douthwaite has worked in both retail and corporate banking. She joined Santander in 2011 to lead a 75-strong team working closely with business throughout the North of England.
She was recruited from RBS, where she was regional director of corporate banking in Yorkshire and the North East. Before this, she held a number of senior posts in the banking sector and she is a council member of the North West CBI.
Mrs Douthwaite is also actively involved in efforts to boost the numbers of women playing a key role in business and is a member of the Two Per Cent Club, one of the major campaigning organisations in this field.
