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Experienced banker joins Handelsbanken’s West End branch in Edinburgh
Handelsbanken has grown its corporate management team in Edinburgh with the appointment of experienced banking professionals Brian Gorey to its West End branch.
Originally from Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, Mr Gorey brings over two decades of industry experience to the role, having moved to Scotland from Dublin in 2003 to help establish Allied Irish Bank’s new corporate office in the capital.
He most recently worked at Barclays, where he spent four years as head of credit analysis for Scotland and the North East before becoming relationship director for the property sector. He joins an already experienced corporate management team, including deputy branch manager Tom Oliver and fellow corporate bank managers Chris Rawson It is Graeme McNaughton.
“The role is ideal for me, having worked in relationship banking for the last 20 years and I am excited to be joining a team with a strong track record and real aspirations for growth,” said Gorey, whose recruitment follows the recent appointment of Kevin Hulse as the bank’s first corporate manager – business development for Edinburgh.
“Handelsbanken’s unique model exemplifies relationship banking. The fact that they approached this through a local lens really appealed to me – as did the autonomy given to agencies to make decisions on the ground based on their own in-depth knowledge of the local economy. Having a united team with this knowledge and focus increases the strength of how to best support customers. With a team of experienced personal and corporate bankers, this means every aspect of the client relationship can be supported and nurtured personally.”
The 150-year-old bank, founded in Sweden, opened in the UK in 1982. Its extensive branch network includes nine in Scotland and north Cumbria, with a presence in Edinburgh since 2009.
Welcoming the appointment, Handelsbanken Edinburgh West End Branch Manager Ian Henderson said: “Our primary focus remains on customer relationships and we needed to bring in extra resources to support our growth. Brian is an experienced contractor with good market contacts following his time at Allied Irish Bank and Barclays and is an ideal choice for us.
“His arrival will help us support existing clients and the new ones we are onboarding as we grow our lending, deposit and wealth management books. We have enjoyed successful growth over the past decade and as we continue to meet demand, we will support the local market in the best possible way.”
“It’s an exciting time for us and it’s encouraging to be able to expand our corporate team. It’s a material change for the team here and gives us capacity within an experienced team to support the continued growth of the branch.”