Pete Markey exits Aviva to head up marketing at TSB Bank
Pete Markey has left Aviva after just one year to become marketing director at TSB Bank.
Pete Markey heads to TSB
“It’s an exciting time to join TSB as it continues to challenge the UK banking sector and I can’t wait to get stuck in,” Markey said on the move. “I’ve been impressed with how the Bank has established its personality within the sector, and in my new role, I’m looking forward to helping evolve the brand as TSB grows.”
TSB was launched in 2013 after being demerged from the Lloyds banking group and has been working hard to establish its “challenger bank” status. Profits for the group hit £177.7m (up 68%) in 2016 but 2017 will be the “year of liberation”, according to its chief executive, as it untangles itself from the £200m a year rent it was paying Lloyds to use its IT infrastructure.
Markey will play a key role in maintaining this momentum if it wants to continue to disrupt the major high street banks. He takes over from Andrew Gillespie, who previously held the role on an interim basis, and will report to Nigel Gilbert, chief marketing officer.
Gilbert said: “It’s nearly four years since we launched TSB as Britain’s challenger bank, and in that time, we’ve become the most recommended high street bank in Britain, we’re growing, and more people than ever are considering TSB as a bank worth switching to.
“As we continue to drive this momentum, I am really thrilled to bring Pete on board. With all of his rich experience, Pete will play a major role in the next phase of our marketing and brand strategy.”
Markey departs Aviva which he joined last year to manage its brand communications and marketing, specifically the insurance company’s ‘Good Thinking’ campaign. It comes amid a raft of changes in the insurer’s marketing department after group brand director Jan Gooding became its first global inclusion director. A successor has yet to be announced.
Prior to this, he worked at the Post Office for two years as the chief marketing officer.