'It's about the size of the impact'

Stuart Miller, who joined The Cumberland after seven years as chief commercial officer and board member at Newcastle Building Society, has spent almost four decades working in financial services. He began his career at the age of 16, joining NatWest, in Stockton-on-Tees in 1987. 'I've worked my way through the ranks and I think the fact that I started in very junior roles really has shaped me,' he says. 'I'd like to think I've still got a good handle on what it's like for the vast majority of our colleagues working for The Cumberland.' He believes those early experiences also helped him understand the needs of customers, something which remains central to his leadership philosophy. 'I think that's kept me extremely grounded,' he says. 'It's about making sure we look after our customers and we look after our people who are serving our customers.' Stuart says becoming chief executive of The Cumberland represented a significant career opportunity. However, the approach of the building society itself was an equally important part of his decision to make the move. 'It's always felt like it was going to be a very good fit for me and for the organisation,' he said. Stuart says he wants The Cumberland to remain deeply embedded in the communities it serves, while finding opportunities to increase its physical presence. 'I do think it's a credit to the organisation that when most of the banks are disappearing from our high streets, we make that long term commitment,' he says. 'I would like to say in five years' time that we fixed some of the gaps that have been left by the high street banks.' He also wants the organisation to increase its wider impact, including through initiatives such as financial education. 'I would like to think that the service that our customers are receiving is still just as warm and friendly and welcoming as it is today,' he says. Ultimately, his ambition is not just to make The Cumberland bigger, but to increase the difference it makes to the communities around it. 'It's not really about the size of the business. It's about the size of the impact that we can have in communities right across Cumbria.' cumberland.co.uk