Page 9 - 86395_CCB - 2024 Annual Report (web)
P. 9

9












              our technology enablement programme     Our Wider Team
              which is delivering a faster and better   Nothing that has been achieved this
              client experience. Our plans include    year would have been achieved without
              significant investment in this programme   our wonderful wider team. They have
              which will ensure that we remain the    continued to give their all to the benefit
              specialist SME bank of choice in our    of the Bank and have been tremendously
              chosen markets.                         supportive, going the extra mile throughout
                 We are confident that we can deliver   another challenging year. On behalf of
              this plan. Key risks to delivery are failure   myself and the Board, I thank everybody
              by the Government to support continuing   for their contribution to the Bank’s success
              economic growth and unforeseen impacts   this year. The Board and Executive Team
              from the regulator in implementing the   work hard to create an environment which
              Basel 3.1 and Small Domestic Deposit    encourages a team based, collaborative
              Takers reforms. It is still early days for these   and diverse high performance culture.
              reforms and we cannot yet discern precisely
              what the future capital regime will be.   Conclusion
              However, from what we can see, the new
              regime should not impede our plans.     It is to be hoped that the UK Government’s
                 We remain committed to the ESG       intentions to deliver economic growth
              agenda and to ensuring that we maintain   will bear fruit in 2025 and the geopolitical
              a strong environmental and socially     risk will decline, creating a more benign
              responsible dimension to our thinking   environment for business. Cambridge
              and work. We endeavour to support a just   & Counties Bank is well capitalised, has
              transition to net zero in the products that   good and relevant products for its chosen
              we offer to clients and in the way that we   sectors which we can and will continue
              conduct our business. Our continuing    to promote, expanding our market share,
              B Corp membership evidences our         delivering a great experience for our clients,
              commitment to being a responsible       above average returns for our shareholders
              business, keeping pace with wider societal   and a vibrant and stimulating workplace for
              expectations whilst ensuring that our   our people, taking what further challenges
              growth is sustainable and robust.       the wider world throws at us in our stride.
                                                         The remainder of the Annual Report
              Our Board and Senior Executive Team     describes the Bank’s progress through
                                                      2024 and explores the opportunities and
              Last year I reported Andrea Hodgson’s   challenges that we face and our plans for a
              intention to retire as Chief Financial Officer   prosperous future.
              during 2024. Andrea left us in the Autumn
              after seven very successful years as CFO.   Patrick Newberry
              Her contribution to the Bank’s success   Chairman
              was considerable and I would like to thank   27 March 2025
              Andrea on behalf of shareholders, the
              Board and all of our employees for her hard
              work, attention to detail and the very high
              professional standards that she brought to
              everything she did at the Bank. She will be
              much missed and we wish her well in her
              new portfolio career as a Non‑Executive
              Director in the financial sector.
                 I am delighted that we have been able
              to recruit Richard Hanrahan as our new
              CFO. Richard brings extensive financial and
              treasury experience from a range of senior
              roles in the banking sector and we are
              very much looking forward to the benefit
              of the application of that experience and
              a fresh pair of eyes to our financial affairs
              and performance.
   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14