Simon Miller returns to Hampden & Co as chairman
- Miller was a founding director of Scoban in 2010
- Miller has been Brewin Dolphin’s chair since 2013
- Miller is also non-executive chairman at Blackrock North American Income and senior independent director at STV Group
- Hampden & Co CEO Graeme Hartop: “Having Simon back on board is testament to our ambition”
- Hampden & Co experienced a strong first quarter in 2020 and is set to report annual results later this month
- Finlay Williamson also to join the board
The Board of Directors of Hampden & Co has announced that Simon Miller is set to become its new chairman. Miller will rejoin the private bank he helped found under its original name, Scoban, in 2010. Scoban was rebranded as Hampden & Co in 2014 and opened for business the following year when it became the first new UK private bank to be launched in over quarter of a century.
Miller has been Brewin Dolphin’s chairman since 2013, overseeing a period of sustained growth during his tenure at one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms. Miller, who read law at Cambridge University and is a Barrister at Law, is currently non-executive chairman at Blackrock North American Income and is senior independent director at London Stock Exchange-listed STV Group plc. His career included 18 years as a non-executive director with Adam & Company and 20 years as executive chairman of Dunedin Capital.
Graeme Hartop, CEO, Hampden & Co said: “Having Simon back on board is testament to our ambition and outlook. Simon is a much respected chairman and non-executive director who brings extensive experience from the financial and private banking sectors, including as a co-founder of Hampden & Co a decade ago, to help guide the bank’s next phase of growth.”
Simon Miller said: “In a few short years Hampden has steadily built its reputation and is now one of the most exciting players on the private banking scene. With a client-first mentality, a highly experienced team led by Graeme and a model which allows the bank to work alongside best-of-class advisers across the UK, the future looks bright for the business.”
In addition to Miller’s appointment, Finlay Williamson will join the Board as a non-executive director and Chairman of the Audit Committee. Williamson, a qualified CA, is a former divisional finance director, head of internal audit, and head of mergers and acquisitions at RBS Group. In 2009, Williamson joined Virgin Money plc as CFO, supporting the challenger bank through the acquisition of Northern Rock and the bank’s path to IPO. In 2015 Williamson joined Paragon Bank PLC as an independent non-executive director and in 2017 he also became an independent non-executive director of Paragon Banking Group PLC (together “Paragon”). He is the Chairman of the Risk & Compliance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee at Paragon.
Graeme Hartop said: “Finlay’s retail banking and regulatory expertise and track record of supporting strategic growth at a number of leading brands in the UK financial sector makes him an excellent fit for Hampden & Co.”
The Board of Directors of Hampden & Co is also announcing that Alex Hammond-Chambers will step down as a director and as Chairman of the Board. Graeme Hartop said: “Alex has been with the bank since day one and has been instrumental in its formation and early development. I would like to extend a big thank you on behalf of the Board for his considerable contribution to our success to date.”
Hampden & Co experienced a strong start in the first quarter of 2020, however this was before the impact of Covid-19 which at this time is difficult to predict with any degree of certainty. The bank is set to report its 2019 annual results later this month. Business growth in both deposits and lending was strong and included an expansion into the mortgage intermediary market, particularly in relation to complex mortgages for high net worth individuals. In December the Bank acquired a £30 million loan book from Smith & Williamson following an earlier decision in 2019 for the financial and professional services group to relinquish its banking licence.