Conville joins the mutual from the Newcastle Building Society, where he held senior roles as both head of mortgage operations and interim chief customer officer.
One of his focuses will be engagement with mortgage brokers across the UK to ensure the right products and services are in place.
He said: “Mortgage brokers play such a crucial role in advising their clients, whether they are a first-time, next-time or final-time borrower.
“It’s vitally important that Darlington works in close partnership with the intermediary community to create more opportunities for sustainable homeownership.”
The society’s community engagement programme was also a draw for Conville. Another priority will be to build stronger relationships with local communities, businesses, and charities.
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He added: “I want to spend as much time as possible listening to our members, so I can find out what matters to them and how we can improve our services whether through our branches or our digital services.”
Andrew Craddock, chief executive, said: “Michael brings a wealth of experience and is a great fit for Darlington Building Society because of his passion for the mutual sector, his determination to do the best for members, and his commitment to community engagement. We are thrilled to have him as part of the team.”
