Bedford, formerly deputy chief executive, succeeds Karl Elliott, who led the society for five years.
Karl Elliott retires
Karl Elliott has chosen to step down after five years at the helm as CEO to spend more time with his family.
Elliott said: “I am very proud of all we have achieved in the past five years and the solid foundations we have built to enable the society to thrive in the future.
“Regretfully, I have decided that after 18 months of personal challenges, I must prioritise my family over my work for now and so I am stepping aside from 25 April.
“I am hugely indebted to our board and colleagues for their support throughout my time with the society and I look forward to the Beverley’s continued success, serving its members.”
Stuart Purdy, chairman of the Beverley, paid tribute, saying: “Karl was a much-valued CEO and we thank him for his service and leadership.
“We have been fortunate to have had the service and commitment of a leader of the calibre of Karl. We understand Karl’s decision and priorities and he leaves the Beverley with our very best wishes.”
Janet Bedford becomes CEO
Bedford (pictured) joined the board in 2014 and, during her time as finance director, helped the mutual build its profitability, capital and liquidity, culminating in a 2021 performance which saw its profit levels reach their highest point in the last decade.
Bedford was promoted to deputy CEO in 2017, to help support Elliott in creating and delivering the mutual’s new ‘Building Better Futures’ strategy. She also has extensive financial services sector experience, including 12 years at RBS WorldPay, where she was financial controller for the UK and European businesses, and projects and acquisitions.
Purdy said: “The board is delighted to have selected Janet to lead us forward in Beverley, Hull and surrounding area, and across the country.
“We congratulate Janet on her well-deserved appointment, having demonstrated outstanding commitment and capability over the past nine months as she stepped up as our interim CEO. We look forward to seeing her take the Society forward as it enters the next stage of its evolution.”
Bedford, who is also a chartered accountant, said she is looking forward to significantly expanding the Beverley’s mortgage lending.
She added: “I am really excited to be leading Beverley BS as CEO. My team and I intend to continue to build our reputation as an innovative mutual, offering outstanding customer service.
“We’ve come through the challenges of the pandemic with new lessons learned and confidence in our adaptability and resilience. We know that members need our help more than ever when it comes to getting a mortgage, particularly the increasing number of complex cases, treating each of them with the individual care they deserve.”
Bedford’s appointment is subject to regulatory approval.
Oliver Laird joins the board as incoming audit chair
The Beverley board has also appointed Oliver Laird as a non-executive director and, subject to regulatory approval, chair of the society’s audit committee. Oliver is also the chief finance officer (CFO) of Lookers PLC, the automotive business based in Altrincham.
Purdy commented: “Oliver has extensive financial services and CFO experience and we really look forward to gaining from his knowledge and business perspective as a member of our board.”
