TSB boss Debbie Crosbie has been shortlisted for the chief executive job at Nationwide Building Society, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
She is understood to be one of the top choices to replace outgoing chief Joe Garner after five years at the helm.
Garner announced his shock resignation last month, just as it emerged that chairman David Roberts would be stepping down.
In the hot seat: Debbie Crosbie’s strategy helped TSB go back into profit
Roberts will be replaced by Kevin Parry, the lender’s senior independent director, who will spearhead the search for a new chief executive.
Sources said other leading external candidates include Vim Maru, head of Lloyds Banking Group’s retail bank.
Crosbie, 51, was parachuted into TSB in May 2019, months after the departure of former boss Paul Pester following the bank’s disastrous technology meltdown that left thousands of customers temporarily locked out of their accounts.
The Scottish boss, who came from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank Group, has brought TSB back from the red. The bank, which was bought by Spanish lender Sabadell in 2015, reported on Friday a pre-tax profit of £110million this year, compared to a £152million loss last year.
Crosbie’s three-year growth strategy, released in 2019, led to investment in digital services and the cutting of costs by closing branches.
TSB and Nationwide declined to comment.
