HAMPDEN & Co, the private bank, has appointed Mark Thomson as Head of Credit. Thomson was previously Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Society and was formerly Credit Director at Scottish Widows Bank. Bringing over 35 years of banking industry experience, Thomson is a Chartered Banker, a Fellow of the Chartered Bankers Institute and chaired the Northern Association of Building Societies’ Executive Committee between 2017 and 2019.
Hampden & Co CEO Graeme Hartop said: “Mark was a key member of the senior team during my time at Scottish Widows Bank and brings extensive banking experience and encapsulates our ethos of having the best people in the market at Hampden & Co. Mark will manage our approach to individual credit decision-making, in particular for clients with complex requirements but low risk profile – something that the high street banks find difficult to provide by way of automation.”
Mark Thomson, Hampden & Co’s Head of Credit said: “I’ve always been of the opinion that every client’s individual circumstances should be a very important factor when assessing lending applications and not placing total reliance on application scoring systems employed by the vast majority of the mainstream banking sector. Hampden & Co is in direct contrast to the high street banks in this area, the bank is making the right impression in the marketplace and I look forward to contributing to its ongoing success.”
In December Smith & Williamson transferred a £30 million loan book to Hampden & Co following an earlier decision in 2019 for the financial and professional services group to relinquish its banking licence.
Last August, Hampden & Co reported 48% year-on-year income growth in its half-year results, with deposits up 39% and lending increased by 44%. Business growth in 2019 has been supported by Hampden & Co’s expansion into the mortgage intermediary market, particularly in relation to complex mortgages for high net worth individuals. 2019 saw the launch of a new digital banking service and, in late September the private bank appointed financial services industry stalwart Andrew Bell to the post of Chief Commercial Officer. Headcount across Hampden & Co’s Edinburgh and London offices is now above 100 and further hires are set to be announced in Q1 of 2020.
