David Thorburn (banker)
David Thorburn | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Chairman of Coventry Building Society, former CEO of Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank |
David Thorburn is a banker originating from Scotland and currently holds the position of chairman of the board at the Coventry Building Society. He has previously occupied the role of chief executive officer at Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank, both of which operate under the ownership of National Australia Bank.
Education
Born in Glasgow in 1958 and brought up in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Thorburn attended Hamilton Academy before earning a Law degree from the University of Glasgow. In 1999, he enhanced his executive skills by completing an advanced management course at Harvard Business School.
Career
Thorburn's banking journey started in 1978 when he joined Clydesdale Bank as a graduate trainee. He transitioned to the Trustee Savings Bank in 1984 and later returned to Clydesdale in 1993 as a senior manager. By 2002, he had secured a place on Clydesdale’s executive leadership team. After the 2005 integration of Yorkshire Bank into Clydesdale, Thorburn was named chief executive in 2011. During his leadership, his signature appeared on Clydesdale-issued banknotes. He resigned in January 2015 during a strategic reassessment of UK operations by parent company National Australia Bank.
Between July 2015 and March 2018, Thorburn was an independent member of the Prudential Regulation Committee at the Bank of England. He stepped down early to accept a non-executive directorship and chairmanship of the risk committee within Barclays Bank’s retail division. Since May 2016, he has contributed to the global governance council at international accounting firm Ernst & Young.
In April 2022, Thorburn took on the role of chairman at Coventry Building Society, which ranks as the UK's second-largest building society, where he oversees ongoing market performance and lending expansion.
Other appointments
David Thorburn has held leadership roles including vice-chairman and chairman of the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland as well as president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland. His experience also includes serving as a director for Scottish Financial Enterprise. In May 2009, he was appointed by the First Minister of Scotland to spearhead the creation of a new Skills Gateway aimed at enhancing Scotland's financial services sector.