Cambridge & Counties Bank has appointed James Royle (pictured) as chief risk officer, starting in March 2025.
He succeeds Mike Hudson, who is stepping down to pursue non-executive director roles.
Royle previously served as chief risk officer at Recognise Bank, where he oversaw various risk management areas.
Before that, he worked at HSBC for nearly 23 years, holding positions such as managing director and deputy chief operating officer in UK commercial banking, as well as head of risk for UK commercial banking.
Royle joins as the bank reported achieving its highest level of gross new lending in FY2023 at £328m, a 6% increase from the previous year.
Total customer loan balances rose by 5% to £1.106bn, and customer deposits also increased by 5% to £1.155bn.
Donald Kerr, chief executive officer at Cambridge & Counties Bank, said: “We are, again, very pleased to welcome someone of James’ calibre and experience to the team.
“Risk management has continued to rise up the list of critical business responsibilities, and he and his team will play an intrinsic role in helping us deliver on our organisational goals and deliver excellence to our clients.
Kerr added: “I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Mike Hudson for his incredible support in helping turn Cambridge & Counties Bank into the competitive institution it is today.
“Mike has been a terrific CRO over the past five years and has demonstrably improved the risk management framework as well as enhancing our relations with our regulators, among many others.
“He built out a strong second line team while at the same time being a great advocate of our growth plans. He leaves with my sincere gratitude and thanks for all he has done.”
