A SCOTS branch of a local relationship bank has appointed a brand new managerial role for its Edinburgh location.
Kevin Hulse is Handelsbanken’s first Corporate Manager for Business Development in Edinburgh.
The 43-year-old capital native enters the new role with just two years as Corporate Manager at the Edinburgh East branch at Waterloo Place.
Mr Hulse will be responsible for driving the bank’s growth across the city with reach to Edinburgh’s West End and Haymarket.
This is a first for the 150-year-old bank, which has had a presence in Edinburgh since 2009.
Mr Hulse has more than 20 years of experience in the banking sector having joined Handelsbanken after four years with Aldermore Bank as senior lending manager for Scotland.
Before Aldermore, he spent 16 years with the Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group.
Edinburgh West End branch manager Iain Henderson said: “This represents a step-change for the bank in Edinburgh and supports our growth strategy both in the city and UK as a whole.
“Customer satisfaction is the key measure for our branches, with our focus on long-term customer relationships, and Kevin’s appointment is appropriate to support our growth agenda.
Mr Henderson added: “Previously, anyone employed on the corporate side has worked with a portfolio as well as focusing on business development.
“The big change for Kevin is he will not have a portfolio, will be more market facing and that will allow Handelsbanken Edinburgh to become more proactive with Kevin covering the entire city in the new role.”
There are now nine branches established in Scotland and north Cumbria as part of the 150-plus network since opening in the UK in 1982.
Mr Hulse said: “It’s great to be part of a bank which has a good reputation for doing the right thing. My aim is to enhance that reputation in this new role.
“There is no bonus structure here, we are all salaried employees and doing the right thing for the customer is what drives us, and I really like that.
“There is no incentive for us to do anything that is not 100 per cent right for the customer and the bank. It’s very much a two-way arrangement and we have to be right for each other as we build long-term partnerships.
He added: “Having the Edinburgh-wide remit is really exciting as it’s a unique role for the bank.
“This is going to be a pivotal role in growing the bank. We have previously relied on organic growth and word of mouth recommendations.
“They will always be our bread and butter, but we are now being more proactive about our proposition and what we actually do and it’s exciting to be part of the Handelsbanken story in Scotland’s capital city.”
