Clydesdale exec to lead TSB revival

Senior Clydesdale executive Debbie Crosbie has been appointed to lead crisis-hit TSB.

Her appointment follows the departure in September of Paul Pester, who left TSB in the wake of a huge IT meltdown.

Ms Crosbie joins from Clydesdale owner CYBG, where she has spent 20 years, most recently as chief operating officer.

Chairman Richard Meddings said TSB bank will focus on “putting things right for customers” under Ms Crosbie’s leadership.

“In an impressive field of candidates, Debbie stood out,” he said.

Ms Crosbie will become one of the few women to lead a British bank when she joins in the new year.

TSB did not disclose her salary but said she will be paid more than her predecessor Mr Pester, who received a £913,500 base salary last year.

Mr Pester walked away from TSB with a payout of nearly £1.7 million following the IT fiasco.

TSB, owned by Spain’s Sabadell, was hit by an IT crisis in April which left up to 1.9 million users of its digital and mobile banking locked out of their accounts.

The tech troubles were triggered by a migration of customer data from former owner Lloyds’ IT system.

It has suffered enduring IT issues since, with customers locked out of their accounts again in September.

“A lot of banks talk about creating the right culture, but TSB has it,” Ms Crosbie said.

“The passion and commitment of TSB Partners to deliver for customers is second to none.

“The exciting thing about TSB is just how much potential the bank has to redefine banking to better serve customers and their changing financial needs,”

Figures for the second quarter of 2018 show TSB suffered a net loss of 16,641 current account switches.

Picture: PA Debbie Crosbie has been with Clydesdale owner CYBG for more than 20 years.