Saffron Building Society has revealed it is preparing to elect the first ever female chair in its history.

The society is to hold its annual general meeting (AGM) on 18 April, with Barbara Anderson poised to take over Nick Treble and become the first female chair in the society’s 173 years.

Anderson, a non-executive director, joined Saffron in 2022 as chair designate. She has a portfolio career and has held several other non-executive director roles across small to medium-sized enterprises in different sectors.

Positions Anderson currently holds include chair of the Energy Saving Trust, non-executive director and chair of the Remuneration Committee at British Business Bank, as well as non-executive director, chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and Member of the Treasury Committee for Sovereign Housing Association.

She commented: “Saffron is a member-owned business, so my role as incoming chair is to ensure the society makes the right long-term choices so it can thrive for many years to come. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues and members at Saffron following the upcoming AGM.”

“Building societies play a key role in supporting local communities with their financial health and I think this is especially important when times get tough, as they are right now for many people.  I believe building societies can be closer to communities than big banks, which is something I’ll encourage Saffron to continue to do.”

Anderson added: “After joining the society as chair designate, I have been getting to know Saffron and its people in preparation for taking over as chair post the AGM in April. I bring lots of prior experience in chair, non-executive director, CEO, and commercial strategy roles, and my career has spanned a wide range of sectors including finance, energy, telecoms, retail, and strategy consultancy.”

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