Board of Directors

David Morgan LLB
Chairman
David Morgan was born in 1953, has been a director since 2000 and was appointed Chairman on 27 April 2007. He was educated at King Edward VI School, Stourbridge and the University of Birmingham and has practised as a solicitor in the Black Country for more than 30 years. He is a partner at Higgs & Sons, Solicitors, specialising in property law. He sits on the Development Committee and is Chairman of the Nominations Committee.

Peter Davenport
Vice-Chairman & Senior Independent Director
Peter Davenport was born in 1951 and was appointed to the Board in 1999. His family ran businesses in Tipton even prior to the founding of the Society in 1901. He is principal of West Midlands based 'The Lee Shaw Partnership', a firm of valuers, estate agents and chartered surveyors. He has detailed and extensive knowledge of property in the area gained over 30 years. He sits on the Nominations and Remuneration Committees and is Chairman of the Development Committee.

Christopher Martin FCIB
Chief Executive
Christopher Martin was born in 1952 and joined the Society in 1970 from school as an administrative assistant. He worked on the counter as a cashier, moved into mortgage lending and later took over the marketing function. He is a former Secretary of the Society and was appointed Chief Executive in November 1987 and Director in 1989. He is a former Chairman of the Midlands and West Association of Building Societies and also of Mutual One Ltd, a joint venture company founded to provide services to building societies.

Marcus Daly FCA
Non-executive Director
Marcus Daly was born in 1957 and was appointed to the Board in December 2005. Born in Scotland his family moved to the Midlands when he was very young. He was educated at Stonyhurst College and then at St Philip's Grammar School in Birmingham. Having joined a local firm of Chartered Accountants he qualified in 1983 and became a partner in 1989. He left the practice in 2007 and became a partner in Michael Kay & Company, Chartered Accountants, Birmingham. He is Chairman of the Audit & Compliance and Assets & Liabilities Committees.

John Miller FCIS, FCIB, ACol
General Manager & Secretary
John Miller was born in 1954 and was appointed Secretary in 1989 and to the Board in January 1998. He has a wealth of Building Society experience, having spent over 30 years in the sector. In addition to his duties as Secretary, he is responsible for mortgages and compliance matters. He takes an active part in local affairs and retired as a Governor of a nearby primary school last year after 15 years service.

Belinda Morgan ACA, TEP
Non-executive Director
Belinda Morgan was born in 1960 and joined the Board in December 2006. She was educated at what is now the Priory School, Birmingham and the University of Southampton. She joined a national firm of Chartered Accountants and qualified as a member of the ICAEW in 1986. She is now a partner of a strong regional firm of Chartered Accountants and heads up the private client team which provides a range of personal tax, personal finance, trust and estate planning and compliance services to clients. She sits on the Audit & Compliance and Assets & Liabilities Committees, and chairs the Remuneration Committee.

David Bassett ACII
Non-executive Director
David Bassett was born in 1954 and joined the Board in May 2008. Born in Scarborough, David’s family relocated to the Midlands in 1962 and he was educated at High Arcal Grammar School, Sedgley, where he later became a Governor. David is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and boasts a variety of Personal Finance qualifications in mortgage, pension and investment fields. He is a Director of Tipton and Coseley Financial Services Limited and sits on the Remuneration and Audit & Compliance Committees.

Gavin Loynes MRICS, FAAV
Non-executive Director
Gavin Loynes is 51 and was appointed to the Board in 2011. He is a Chartered Surveyor with Bruton Knowles, a national firm of Property Consultants, where he has worked for over 20 years. He has been an equity partner for the last 10 years. Gavin is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is an RICS registered valuer. Having worked in the West Midlands since qualifying he has gained a detailed understanding of property matters within the area. He sits on the Risk, Remuneration and Audit and Compliance Committees.

Richard Newton FCCA, ACIB
Finance Director
Richard Newton is 41 and joined the Society in 1991 as an administrative assistant. A former student at Dartmouth High School, Great Barr, Birmingham he was already an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers when he qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 2001 following his appointment as Finance Manager. In 2009 he was promoted to General Manager (Finance and Systems) and in July 2011 he was appointed to the Board as Finance Director. He is responsible for the Finance function and matters relating to the Society's systems of control including risk assessment.