Executives
Kevin Parr - Chief Executive
Born in 1960, Kevin became Chief Executive of the Cumberland in December 2002. He joined the Society in 1993 from the London branch of an overseas bank, where he was Head of Finance and Information Technology. He joined the Society's Board as Finance Director in 1994, before being appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 1997.
Peter Temple - Deputy Chief Executive
Born in 1961, Peter went to school in Brampton and joined the Society on graduating from London University in 1982. He has since obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration and has undertaken a wide range of roles leading up to his appointment to the Board in 2007. Peter is the Executive Director responsible for Branches, Marketing, Commercial Sales and Service and the Group's Estate Agents, Financial Planning and Vehicle Finance subsidiaries.
John Kidd - Finance Director
Born in 1965, John joined the Society in 1994 as Financial Controller, and was appointed to the Board in 2002 as Finance Director. He has Executive Director responsibility for IT, Group Legal Services and Treasury. John was born in Carlisle and attended Trinity School. He is a graduate of Newcastle University and a chartered accountant. Prior to joining the Cumberland, he worked in Newcastle for KPMG.
Chris McDonald - Operations & HR Director
Born in 1962, Chris joined the Cumberland in 2006 and was appointed to the Board in 2014. He graduated at Sheffield University and, prior to joining the Society, had over 20 years experience in marketing. He has worked in a variety of roles with the Cumberland and currently has Executive Director responsibility for the Society’s Head Office operations, change management and HR.
Gary Richardson - General Manager - IT
Born in 1967, Gary was born in Caldbeck and went to school in Dalston, joining the Society straight from school in 1985. He has undertaken a wide range of roles leading up to his current position of General Manager IT and is responsible for IT, Office Services and Premises.
Nyree Legge - General Manager - Branches
Born in Carlisle in 1978, Nyree attended Trinity School. She joined the Society in 1994 and has undertaken a wide variety of roles in the Society's Head Office and Branch network. Prior to her appointment as an Assistant General Manager, Nyree was the Head of the Society's Customer Service and Personnel & Training Departments. Nyree is currently responsible for Branches and the Group's Estate Agents subsidiaries.
Alex Windle - General Manager - Marketing
Alex joined the Society as General Manager - Marketing in May 2016, with responsibility for the Group’s marketing and business development activities. Alex has considerable experience in this field, having held senior marketing roles at LG and Vodafone, and most recently UK Marketing Director and Global Product Director at BP where he was responsible for BP Retail’s global marketing and innovation strategy, with a particular focus on digital transformation.
Simon Whitwham - General Manager - Cumberland Business
Born in 1965, Simon joined the Society in 2014 as General Manager Operations. Simon’s career since graduating from Keele University in 1986 has been spent in retail financial services with three building societies and a law firm. In December 2015, Simon was appointed Head of Risk for the Society.
Susanne Parry - Assistant General Manager - Customer Service Development
Born in Carlisle, Susanne attended Trinity School. She joined the Society in 1988 and has undertaken a wide variety of roles in the Society's Head Office and Branch network. Prior to her appointment as an Assistant General Manager, Susanne held roles as Head of Mortgages, Contact Team and HR Department. Susanne is currently responsible for the implementation of new products and services, testing and introducing changes to the Society’s processes and systems.
Sam Lyon - Assistant General Manager - Operations
Sam grew up in Wigton and graduated in Law and Accountancy at Newcastle University. He returned to Cumbria to train as a solicitor, becoming a partner in a local law firm before joining the Society in 2014. Sam is Assistant General Manager with responsibility for the Society’s customer services and back-office operations team. He is also a non-executive director of Inspira, a social enterprise company delivering careers and youth support services in Cumbria and North Lancashire.
