About us

Our leadership team

Our Executive Committee lead our strategy in backing more people to go for it in life and business.

Steven Cooper, CBE - Group Chief Executive of Aldermore Group

Prior to joining Aldermore in 2021, Steven was CEO at C. Hoare & Co, the UK’s oldest privately-owned bank, where he developed and led an extensive programme of change. Before this, he spent 30 years at Barclays, starting as a branch cashier and working his way up to lead several of their major businesses, including Barclaycard Business Solutions, Personal Banking for UK & Europe, and Business Banking in the UK.

He has significant experience in both the European and the US markets, and also spent four years working and living across Africa and India.

Steven is Chairman of Experian UK and is a non-executive director of Cashflows, a private equity backed payments business.

He is a passionate advocate for social mobility; he chairs Business in the Community’s Employment and Skills Leadership Team, is a co-chair of the Equality of Opportunity Coalition with former Cabinet Minister Justine Greening and was formerly Joint Chair of the UK Government’s Social Mobility Commission until 2021.

Prior to joining Aldermore in 2021, Steven was CEO at C. Hoare & Co, the UK’s oldest privately-owned bank, where he developed and led an extensive programme of change. Before this, he spent 30 years at Barclays, starting as a branch cashier and working his way up to lead several of their major businesses, including Barclaycard Business Solutions, Personal Banking for UK & Europe, and Business Banking in the UK.

He has significant experience in both the European and the US markets, and also spent four years working and living across Africa and India.

Steven is Chairman of Experian UK and is a non-executive director of Cashflows, a private equity backed payments business.

He is a passionate advocate for social mobility; he chairs Business in the Community’s Employment and Skills Leadership Team, is a co-chair of the Equality of Opportunity Coalition with former Cabinet Minister Justine Greening and was formerly Joint Chair of the UK Government’s Social Mobility Commission until 2021.

Ralph Coates

Chief Financial Officer

Ralph has been the Aldermore Group CFO since May 2022. Previously he was the CFO of TSB Bank for five years and was pivotal in driving its transformation and growth strategy. Prior to joining TSB, he was Finance Director at the Bank of England, from 2013 to 2016, after nine years at Barclays, latterly as the Finance Director of Barclays UK Retail & Business Bank.

Ralph qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC in South Africa before joining the firm in London in the Transaction Services division.

Chief Financial Officer

Ralph has been the Aldermore Group CFO since May 2022. Previously he was the CFO of TSB Bank for five years and was pivotal in driving its transformation and growth strategy. Prior to joining TSB, he was Finance Director at the Bank of England, from 2013 to 2016, after nine years at Barclays, latterly as the Finance Director of Barclays UK Retail & Business Bank.

Ralph qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC in South Africa before joining the firm in London in the Transaction Services division.

Danielle Soto

Managing Director - Business Finance and Savings

Danielle joined Aldermore in January 2022 to lead the Savings and Commercial Shared Services team. After a successful 2.5 years leading the team, she has transitioned to head up our Business Finance and Savings team.

Danielle joined from Barclays Bank where she spent 20 years building extensive knowledge and experience in Financial Services. In her most recent role as Managing Director for Mortgage and Premier Distribution, Danielle led the integration and transformation of the business, delivering a far superior customer and colleague proposition.

Previous to this, she held a broad range of roles across the organisation, including responsibility for commercial delivery and strategic change. In addition, she played an active role driving the diversity and inclusion agenda and in particular, female talent and development.

Managing Director - Business Finance and Savings

Danielle joined Aldermore in January 2022 to lead the Savings and Commercial Shared Services team. After a successful 2.5 years leading the team, she has transitioned to head up our Business Finance and Savings team.

Danielle joined from Barclays Bank where she spent 20 years building extensive knowledge and experience in Financial Services. In her most recent role as Managing Director for Mortgage and Premier Distribution, Danielle led the integration and transformation of the business, delivering a far superior customer and colleague proposition.

Previous to this, she held a broad range of roles across the organisation, including responsibility for commercial delivery and strategic change. In addition, she played an active role driving the diversity and inclusion agenda and in particular, female talent and development.

Danielle Soto, Group Managing Director - Savings and Commercial Shared Services

Ross Dalzell

Managing Director - Property

Ross joined Aldermore in October 2022 from Barclays where he was Managing Director for Business Banking Relationships. Ross has over 20 years of financial services experience covering a wide of range products, channels and customer segments.

He has a strong background in all elements of product management and distribution and experience in delivering large-scale digital transformation and growth.

Managing Director - Property

Ross joined Aldermore in October 2022 from Barclays where he was Managing Director for Business Banking Relationships. Ross has over 20 years of financial services experience covering a wide of range products, channels and customer segments.

He has a strong background in all elements of product management and distribution and experience in delivering large-scale digital transformation and growth.

Richard Jones

Managing Director - MotoNovo Finance

Richard joined from Lloyds Banking Group in February 2023 where he was CEO of its motor finance and leasing business, which encompassed Black Horse and Lex Autolease brands and online car finance. Richard joined Lloyds Banking Group as part of their graduate finance programme and held a range of senior roles across the Group. 

From 2016 to 2021 Richard was also chairman of the Finance & Leasing Association and still sits on the FLA Board. He graduated in Business Studies from Sheffield Business School and is a chartered management accountant. He also completed the Harvard Business School Executive programme in 2021.

Managing Director - MotoNovo Finance

Richard joined from Lloyds Banking Group in February 2023 where he was CEO of its motor finance and leasing business, which encompassed Black Horse and Lex Autolease brands and online car finance. Richard joined Lloyds Banking Group as part of their graduate finance programme and held a range of senior roles across the Group. 

From 2016 to 2021 Richard was also chairman of the Finance & Leasing Association and still sits on the FLA Board. He graduated in Business Studies from Sheffield Business School and is a chartered management accountant. He also completed the Harvard Business School Executive programme in 2021.

Richard Jones, Managing Director MotoNovo Finance

Nick Ulycz

Chief Operating Officer

Nick was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Aldermore in May 2024 after leading a successful tenure as Chief People Officer since joining the company in January 2022.

Prior to this, he served as the Chief Operating Officer at Domestic & General (D&G), overseeing Operations, HR, and Communications. 

Before his tenure at D&G, he spent eight years at HSBC, ultimately as the Head of HR for HSBC, UK.

Nick is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Personnel Management from the University of Greenwich.

Chief Operating Officer

Nick was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Aldermore in May 2024 after leading a successful tenure as Chief People Officer since joining the company in January 2022.

Prior to this, he served as the Chief Operating Officer at Domestic & General (D&G), overseeing Operations, HR, and Communications. 

Before his tenure at D&G, he spent eight years at HSBC, ultimately as the Head of HR for HSBC, UK.

Nick is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Personnel Management from the University of Greenwich.

Ben Taylor

Chief Customer Experience Officer

Ben joined us from Virgin Money where he was the Group Operations Director. With over 20 years of experience in customer service, consumer operations, and leading major change programmes, he is highly skilled at building centres of excellence focusing on customer experience and transforming customer journeys.

Chief Customer Experience Officer

Ben joined us from Virgin Money where he was the Group Operations Director. With over 20 years of experience in customer service, consumer operations, and leading major change programmes, he is highly skilled at building centres of excellence focusing on customer experience and transforming customer journeys.

Reg Dhanjal

General Counsel

Reg joined Aldermore in 2022 from WorldFirst, where he was Group General Counsel & Compliance Officer and the EMEA Legal, Compliance, AML and Privacy Head for Ant Group, WorldFirst's parent company.

Prior to WorldFirst he was a partner at the law firm Pinsent Masons. He has over 25 years' experience advising on corporate, commercial, compliance and regulatory matters.

General Counsel

Reg joined Aldermore in 2022 from WorldFirst, where he was Group General Counsel & Compliance Officer and the EMEA Legal, Compliance, AML and Privacy Head for Ant Group, WorldFirst's parent company.

Prior to WorldFirst he was a partner at the law firm Pinsent Masons. He has over 25 years' experience advising on corporate, commercial, compliance and regulatory matters.

Michelle Mott

Chief Risk Officer

Michelle joined Aldermore in February 2024 having worked in Risk for over 20 years. Her most recent role prior to joining Aldermore was Executive General Manager of Enterprise Risk and CRO to the Deputy CEO of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). Prior to that Michelle worked at Marsh McClennan Companies – Mercer Pacific, BT Financial Group and Westpac Banking Group.

Michelle has extensive experience in all elements of Risk, with specific skills in Risk Management Frameworks both Financial and Non-Financial, Mergers and Acquisitions, Remediation and working in complex and changing regulatory markets.

Michelle is passionate about the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda and she actively supports community initiatives having devoted more than 15 years to being a volunteer to world swimming community.  Michelle is a qualified Swimming Referee.

Michelle holds various qualifications across Legal, Human Resources and Business and she is a qualified Company Director with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Chief Risk Officer

Michelle joined Aldermore in February 2024 having worked in Risk for over 20 years. Her most recent role prior to joining Aldermore was Executive General Manager of Enterprise Risk and CRO to the Deputy CEO of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). Prior to that Michelle worked at Marsh McClennan Companies – Mercer Pacific, BT Financial Group and Westpac Banking Group.

Michelle has extensive experience in all elements of Risk, with specific skills in Risk Management Frameworks both Financial and Non-Financial, Mergers and Acquisitions, Remediation and working in complex and changing regulatory markets.

Michelle is passionate about the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda and she actively supports community initiatives having devoted more than 15 years to being a volunteer to world swimming community.  Michelle is a qualified Swimming Referee.

Michelle holds various qualifications across Legal, Human Resources and Business and she is a qualified Company Director with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Lisa Hannah

Group Chief of Staff and Managing Director – Commercial Shared Services

Lisa joined from Barclays Bank where she spent 29 years building extensive knowledge and experience in Financial Services, employee engagement, leading large teams through transformational change, defining long term strategic plans and working as a trusted advisor across Executive Leadership teams to define and drive the business strategy. 

She has a long record of building strong business partnerships to enable delivery across all parts of an organisation.

She is co-chair of Aldermore’s Women’s Network and works as an ambassador and advocate across the banks many social mobility partnerships.

Group Chief of Staff and Managing Director – Commercial Shared Services

Lisa joined from Barclays Bank where she spent 29 years building extensive knowledge and experience in Financial Services, employee engagement, leading large teams through transformational change, defining long term strategic plans and working as a trusted advisor across Executive Leadership teams to define and drive the business strategy. 

She has a long record of building strong business partnerships to enable delivery across all parts of an organisation.

She is co-chair of Aldermore’s Women’s Network and works as an ambassador and advocate across the banks many social mobility partnerships.