The Cumberland Building Society has appointed a new relationship manager to further strengthen its support for businesses operating in the South Lakes and Lancashire region.
Ben Hornby joins The Cumberland’s commercial team, bringing with him more than a decade of experience in aiding businesses with their financial and banking needs.
As a part of his role, Ben will develop close relationships with new and existing business customers at The Cumberland, providing them with services backed by the building society’s people first approach.
Headquartered in Carlisle, The Cumberland supports businesses across its core operating areas of Northern England and Scotland.
Known for placing an emphasis on supporting businesses and the communities they are based in, The Cumberland provides commercial lending to a range of sectors, including hospitality, food and drink, healthcare and professional services.
In addition to commercial mortgages, The Cumberland also supports organisations with its business current account and savings account offering.
Key to its approach is its commitment to developing deep relationships with those it works with, which sees dedicated managers work to understand a customer’s business, their ambitions, and the challenges they face throughout the lending process.
Ben previously served as a corporate manager at Handelsbanken in South Lakes and Lancaster, where he managed a portfolio of SME customers across the region.
Prior to this he spent 15 years at NatWest, holding roles in business relationship management, specialist advice and customer banking.
A Lancaster-based MA graduate, Ben has built his career around relationship banking with an ambition to work face-to-face with businesses to understand their needs and help them grow.
Ben said: “The Cumberland’s ethos was a big deciding factor for me. I am a huge advocate of Local Relationship Banking as I’m keen to understand local businesses and their ecosystem so that I can support them and add value along the way.
“The Cumberland stands out for that, and it isn’t a faceless building society. There will always be a place for a local building society that genuinely knows its customers.
“I’m keen to ensure that businesses across South Lakes and Lancashire are aware that The Cumberland and I are here and ready to help.”
Scott McKerracher, head of commercial at The Cumberland, added: “Ben is exactly the kind of relationship manager we look for – someone who is genuinely embedded in the community he’s looking to serve.
“Aside from his wealth of experience in supporting businesses with their needs, he understands that good commercial banking is built on relationships, not transactions.
“His experience across the region, combined with his commitment to face-to-face banking, makes him a real asset for businesses across South Lakes and Lancashire.
“For businesses in the region looking for support with their commercial banking needs, we encourage them to get in touch with Ben and see how we can help.”
