How do you think about economic growth at NatWest?
For many people, “growth” feels theoretical. It’s something debated in Westminster or measured in spreadsheets. People don’t experience Gross Domestic Product; their experience of growth is through their job, their wages, their savings or their business.
At NatWest Group, we serve over 20 million customers across all nations and regions of the UK and that helps us see growth for what it really is – a living system made up of millions of local economic experiences -spanning households, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, employers.
I grew up in Liverpool in the 1970s and 80s and saw the local economy reshaping itself and as a student at Manchester university, I watched a cultural powerhouse emerge during the early 90s. I lived and worked in Scotland for over a decade and still today my most valuable insight comes from the time spent with customers across the UK. These experiences have taught me a simple truth: growth is always local.
That’s why UK growth won’t be won as an abstract national target, but by backing the people and places that generate it. That approach is central to our Growing Together plan.
What role do banks have in helping to build the conditions for growth?
The time I spend with customers makes it clear how much the role of banks has changed. The traditional view of a bank’s role in growth was simple; banks provide capital and manage risk. That will always matter and risk discipline is non-negotiable - but today it is not enough to be a lender sitting on the sidelines.
A modern bank can’t just finance growth; we need to be trusted partners in building the conditions for it. Part investor. Part adviser. Part convenor. Part catalyst – across every part of the UK.
And because growth is local — banking must be local too. Put simply, you can’t grow what you don’t understand. That is why we have more regional business relationship managers and sector specialists than any other UK bank. We operate seven regional boards— bringing together business leaders, universities, local institutions, investors and policymakers. These boards build networks, connect communities, and help turn local ambition into investment pipelines.
