Cambridge and Counties Bank hires Barker as chief commercial officer

Barker has been appointed into this newly-created role to assist with the growth of its real estate finance, asset finance, deposit and marketing businesses. 

She joins from The Co-operative Bank, where she was director of relationship banking for more than three years and established its broker proposition. She was previously employed at Lloyds Banking Group for 13 years, where her most recent role was director, client propositions, global transaction banking. 

Cambridge and Counties Bank has grown its real estate finance team with a series of appointments in recent months. It also ended 2022 with its highest ever level of customer loans and deposits, as gross loan balances rose six per cent to £1.05bn and deposits increased by eight per cent to £1.1bn.  

The lender also completed £310m in gross new lending. 

Barker said: “Cambridge and Counties Bank has become a major competitor in its target markets, with excellent teams working closely with customers and brokers to deliver enhanced, dedicated solutions. 

“The bank is very well positioned to take further market share and I look forward to helping Cambridge and Counties achieve its ambitions.” 

Donald Kerr, CEO at Cambridge and Counties Bank, added: “Sarah is a highly impressive individual, and it’s great to have someone of her calibre join the team. She has very strong ideas on how to build the bank going forward and her passion for SME banking is very clear.”