Hodge has today announced a number of changes to its board, including the appointment of new chairman, Graeme Hughes, who will replace Adrian Piper who retires after nearly 10 years as a board member.

The bank has also announced Iain Laing will join in July this year as its new chair of risk and conduct, subject to regulatory approval. Laing will replace Alun Bowen who will be retiring from the board after seven years’ service.

Laing joins from TSB, where he held the role of chief risk officer.

Aileen Wallace has been appointed as a non-executive director (NED). Wallace (pictured), a chartered banker, who is also NED for Target Group brings more than 20 years of retail and SME banking experience to the role and will Chair Hodge’s change & innovation committee.

Adrian Piper has been chairman of Hodge’s board of directors since 2017 and a non-executive director of Hodge since 2010, he will retire from his position at the end of April. He is being replaced by Graeme Hughes, who was appointed to Hodge’s board as a senior independent director in September last year.

Prior to joining the Hodge board, Hughes spent 34 years with Nationwide Building Society, ending his time there as group distribution director. He was responsible for all sales and service across its 720 branches and with more than 10,000 staff.

Piper, said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to be the chair of the board at Hodge during a time of amazing growth and innovation.

“To see its transition in the 10 years I have been on the board has been truly astounding and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this business. Hodge is very special, full of very special people, I shall miss it greatly.”

Hodge is now recruiting for a senior independent director with specialist financial and/or accounting experience to further strengthen the board.