Lloyds strengthens North team with three hires

Lloyds has appointed a relationship director and two relationship managers to strengthen its commercial banking teams across the North East and Yorkshire.

Oliver Bell-Syer joins as relationship director for West and East Yorkshire, based at the bank’s Wellington Place office in Leeds.

He previously spent almost eight years at Santander and began his career at RBS supporting corporate and SME clients across the North.

Fiona Steel has stepped into the role of relationship manager for West Yorkshire, having worked at Lloyds for more than a decade in large and mid-corporate finance and government banking.

Alexandra King has been appointed relationship manager for Tees Valley, North Yorkshire and York, bringing almost 20 years’ experience at Lloyds supporting businesses and startups across the region.

Their appointments reinforce the bank’s commitment to supporting businesses across key sectors in the North of England.

Paul Varley, area director for West and East Yorkshire, said: “Oliver and Fiona bring exactly the combination of expertise and values we're looking for. 

“Oliver’s track record in building strong client relationships across the corporate and SME space, combined with Fiona's deep understanding of the public sector and social value, means our customers across West and East Yorkshire will benefit from genuine partnership banking that looks beyond transactions to understand what businesses really need to succeed.

“Both bring a strong community focus too – Oliver through founding a mental health charity and his work with the York Roundtable and Fiona through her social value leadership. 

“They understand that thriving businesses and thriving communities go hand in hand, and that makes them a real asset to our team.”

Sonya Atkins, area director for the North East and North Yorkshire, added: “Alexandra knows the regional business landscape, understands the challenges local firms face and genuinely cares about helping them succeed. 

“That insight, combined with her experience across both retail and commercial banking, means she can offer the kind of practical, tailored support that makes a real difference. 

“She's a great addition to the team.”

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