Fintellect Recruitment
Chief Commercial Officer (SMF18) - West Yorks - Sustainable Lender
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Chief Commercial Officer (SMF18)
West Yorkshire - Financial Services - Purpose-Led & Sustainable
A rare opportunity to combine commercial leadership with genuine environmental and social impact.
Our client is a highly purpose-led financial services organisation with sustainability and positive social impact at the heart of its proposition. Having successfully completed a major core banking transformation, the organisation is now entering an exciting new phase — focused on translating that investment into sustainable commercial growth, stronger financial resilience, enhanced member experiences and greater impact.
The organisation is seeking an ambitious and commercially astute Chief Commercial Officer (SMF18) to play a pivotal role in delivering that next phase.
This is an opportunity for an experienced financial services leader to use their commercial expertise in an environment where profitability and purpose are not competing priorities. Growth matters, but so does how that growth is achieved and the positive difference it creates for members, communities, and the environment.
The role
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and sitting on the Executive Team, the Chief Commercial Officer will have a broad and influential remit spanning commercial strategy, product, proposition, pricing, distribution, marketing, membership, and customer experience.
The role will lead the development and execution of the organisation's commercial strategy, translating its strategic ambitions into sustainable growth in members, balances, income, and impact.
With responsibility across Marketing & Communications, Mortgage Distribution, and Product across Mortgages and Savings, the CCO will have significant scope to influence how the organisation develops, takes products to market, and engages with existing and prospective members. The role will be particularly important in the continued evolution from a predominantly direct distribution model towards a balanced, scalable intermediary-led proposition.
This will include developing and strengthening relationships with mortgage brokers, directly authorised firms, networks, clubs, and strategic distribution partners, increasing awareness and utilisation of the organisation's products, and identifying new opportunities for sustainable growth. However, this is much broader than a distribution or sales leadership role.
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The successful candidate will bring together the commercial, customer, product, and financial picture, ensuring that growth opportunities are commercially attractive, financially sustainable, and aligned with the organisation's purpose.
They will use data, insight, and market intelligence to challenge existing thinking and optimise:
- Product performance
- Proposition development
- Pricing and margin
- Customer/member acquisition
- Retention and loyalty
- Distribution effectiveness
- Profitability and income
- Cost and operational effectiveness
- Overall financial resilience
They will also provide executive leadership across the mortgage and savings propositions, working closely with Risk, Finance, and Operations to ensure that growth ambitions are balanced with prudent risk management and sustainable balance-sheet performance.
A genuinely wide-reaching C-suite role
One of the attractions of this opportunity is the breadth of influence available to the successful candidate. Our client is a relatively small, agile organisation, meaning this is not a role where an executive leader will become one small part of a large corporate machine. The CCO will be close to the decision-making, working alongside the CEO and Executive Team and influencing the direction of the organisation across multiple functions.
There will be significant opportunity to challenge, shape, and improve — from product and pricing through to distribution, marketing, customer experience, and commercial strategy. The successful candidate will therefore need to be comfortable moving between the big strategic picture and the detail required to make things happen.
They will be expected not simply to develop strategy but to drive execution, establish clear accountability, and create a high-performance commercial culture focused on delivery and results.
The person
Our client is looking for a senior commercial leader with a strong track record of delivering growth within financial services. Commercial credibility is critical. This is a role for someone who understands that sustainable growth is about considerably more than increasing volumes.
The successful candidate will have a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between:
- Growth
- Product
- Proposition
- Pricing
- Distribution
- Customer Outcomes
- Cost
- Risk
- Profitability
- Balance Sheet
They will be able to assess a growth opportunity commercially, understand its implications for the wider organisation, and make informed decisions around where to invest, where to innovate, and where to challenge. Experience and expertise across product, proposition, marketing, pricing, and strategic planning will be particularly valuable, alongside the ability to understand customer behaviour, market trends, and competitive positioning.
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The successful candidate will also be an outstanding leader — someone capable of building strong teams, bringing people together around a common objective, and creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. They will be comfortable challenging established thinking, making difficult decisions, and taking considered risks where doing so can deliver better outcomes.
At the same time, they will understand the importance of operating within a highly regulated environment and ensuring that commercial ambition is always balanced with customer outcomes, regulatory obligations, and prudent risk management. The role carries SMF18 responsibility, so a strong understanding of financial services regulation and Consumer Duty is essential, including experience of embedding regulatory obligations into organisational culture and processes.
Why this opportunity?
For the right person, this is an opportunity to take on a genuinely influential C-suite position where their decisions can have a much wider impact than simply the bottom line.
Our client has a clear purpose and a strong sustainability agenda. The organisation is committed to doing things differently and creating positive change, whilst building a financially resilient and commercially sustainable business.
The successful CCO will have the opportunity to help shape what that next chapter looks like:
- To grow the organisation.
- To strengthen the commercial model.
- To develop products that genuinely meet member needs.
- To build new distribution channels.
- To improve customer experiences.
And ultimately, to use commercial expertise to create greater environmental and social impact.
For a commercially driven financial services leader who wants their next role to offer breadth, influence, challenge, and purpose, this is an opportunity that warrants serious consideration.
For a confidential discussion about the opportunity, please contact Fintellect Recruitment.
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