Redwood Bank, a specialist business bank, has strengthened its board of directors with the appointment of industry veteran Ashraf Piranie (pictured) as its new chief financial officer (CFO).
Piranie brings over 25 years of extensive experience in financial services to Redwood Bank. He has an impressive background in retail and commercial banking and has worked across diverse areas including strategy, operations, customer service, change management, IT, risk, finance, and treasury. He also has a strong track record in managing long-term wholesale funding programmes and capital raising initiatives.
“I am delighted to be joining Redwood Bank. I believe there is a strong opportunity in the UK for a modern bank to support the SME sector through the application of technology and relationship banking. Redwood is perfectly placed to be that bank,” said Piranie.
His past roles include serving as finance director and joint managing director with Islamic Bank of Britain, deputy CEO and finance director with Nottingham Building Society, and most recently, group finance and operations director with West Bromwich Building Society. Additionally, Piranie spent six years as deputy chairman and member of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Committee (PRA) Practitioner Panel.
A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Piranie believes his years of experience will be instrumental in his new role. “My years of experience will be invaluable in enabling me to work successfully with colleagues across the business to deliver a successful bank that has its customers at the heart of everything it does,” he added.
Redwood Bank, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2022 and announced its first profit the same year, is confident that Piranie’s appointment will greatly contribute to its growth.
Gary Wilkinson, co-founder and CEO of Redwood Bank, said: “As the Bank continues to grow, Ashraf will help us to deliver on our commitments to our customers. He understands our business model and I know he will make an invaluable contribution to helping us achieve success.”
