Both will work alongside BSA chair Simon Taylor, BSA chief executive Sarah Harrison and the wider council on key issues impacting the building society and mutuals sector.
The trade body said the decision to appoint two deputy chairs shows the “growing scale and influence of the mutual sector”, as well as the “increasing ambition” of the BSA.
Allen has been the chief executive of Yorkshire Building Society for around three years. Before that, she was head of customer transformation at Barclays UK for around a year.
Prior to that, she worked at Santander for nearly seven years, initially as managing director for UK banking before working her way up to become the CEO of retail and business banking.
Domanski has worked at No1 CopperPot Credit Union for around 20 years, and before that, she worked at the then Voyager Credit Union for around three years as an assistant manager.
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Taylor said: “I’m delighted that Susan and Caroline have accepted the roles of deputy chair and I’m very much looking forward to working with them. Both bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and leadership skills that will be invaluable in these roles.
“The government’s ambition to double the size of the mutual and co-operative sector gives us a strong mandate to be at the forefront of change, delivering practical, innovative solutions to housing, savings and financial resilience. To make the most of this opportunity, we need strong visibility, open dialogue and close collaboration with government, regulators and policymakers.
“With Susan and Caroline as deputy chairs, we bring greater capacity, a broader range of skills and experience and stronger representation of our credit union members. This enhanced leadership structure will support the BSA in championing mutuals as a vital part of the UK’s financial services sector, now and into the future.”
Allen added: “This is an exciting time for the mutual sector with many opportunities ahead, alongside some real challenges. As we navigate through these changing times, there’s an increasing awareness of the importance of member-owned organisations with their clear social purpose, strong community connections, and unwavering commitment to serving their members’ needs rather than external shareholders.”
Domanski continued: “We know the difference mutuals bring to their members and communities. Our member-owner structure means we can reinvest our surplus into better returns for members, a diverse range of products and keeping local branches open, rather than being hived off to external shareholders. It is great to see building societies and credit unions working together to double the sector as we support fair and inclusive growth across the UK.”
