Cumberland’s Des Moore named ‘Business Leader of the Year’
The Cumberland Building Society’s Des Moore has been named ‘Business Leader of the Year’ at the in-Cumbria Awards, the annual celebration of the county’s business success stories.
The accolade is a crowning achievement for Des, who will step down as the Society’s chief executive next summer after eight years at the helm.
‘Business Leader of the Year’ is awarded to a leader who has made an outstanding contribution to their business and demonstrated exceptional commitment, inspirational leadership and vision, and had a “significant impact” on improving performance.
Des said: “It’s humbling to receive this. It makes me immensely proud. But we’re a team at the Cumberland and this award reflects the hard work and dedication of all our Cumberland colleagues.
“I couldn’t have had the impact I’ve had without their support and effort. This is recognition for everyone at the Cumberland.”
During his tenure, Des has been instrumental in giving the Society a new sense of direction and purpose.
Des set out to simplify the structure, reduce risk and lay the groundwork for future sustainability. Under his leadership, the Cumberland’s balance sheet has grown by 32 per cent.
He worked closely with senior managers to build a more empowered and values-led culture that puts people, planet, and community at its heart, exemplified by its Kinder Kind of Kitchen initiative to tackle food poverty.
The change in culture at the Cumberland in that time has also been reflected in the building society's high standing amongst employers in the UK in the prestigious annual Best Companies rankings. It holds a three-star accreditation and has been ranked as ‘world class’ by Best Companies for the last two years.
The Cumberland also recently received its fifth consecutive Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award for outstanding customer experience.
At the same time, The Cumberland has been preparing for the future and making progress on its transformation plans that will ensure it continues to meet evolving customer needs. As part of this modernisation programme, it has entered into a strategic partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to upgrade its core technology platforms with TCS BaNCS™ for Core Banking, TCS Digital Home Lending Solution for Mortgages, and Quartz for Compliance.
This collaboration marks a pivotal step in offering greater flexibility in how customers choose to manage their finances - whether online, by phone, or in branch - alongside the personal touch that sets The Cumberland apart.
Celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, The Cumberland was also shortlisted in the ‘Business of the Year’ category at the in-Cumbria Awards.
Entries were evaluated by an 11-strong judging panel and the winners announced at a gala dinner at The Halston, Carlisle, last night, hosted by the comedian and writer Jo Caulfield.
Based in Carlisle, the Cumberland is the largest financial institution in Cumbria with assets of £3.29billion, mortgage lending of £2.76billion and 31 branches across its operating area.