Santander UK Chair William Vereker To Step Down

Santander UK’s Board chair, William Vereker, has announced his intention to step down after completing an orderly handover process this year.

Santander recently conducted a review of its British operations as part of a regular market assessment. Ana Botin, the chair of Santander, highlighted Vereker’s leadership in overseeing a transformation of the UK business. While the UK remains a core market for the bank, the decision comes amid concerns over profitability, with Santander UK showing lower returns compared to the rest of the group. Santander entered the UK market in 2004 through the acquisition of Abbey National, followed by Bradford & Bingley and Alliance & Leicester.