Congratulations to our Chief Executive, Phillippa, who is celebrating a fantastic thirty years at the Society this month!
From her first day in 1996 to steering the Society regulation change, digital innovation, and ongoing transformation, Phillippa Cardno's Newbury career story is one of ambition, adaptability, and commitment to people: both customers and colleagues.
“I had a horrible cold on my first day – that’s what comes to mind,” Phillippa laughs. “The very first thing I was asked to do was mystery shop because no one in the branches knew me yet!"
“I had originally applied for a lending role, but the CEO at the time said they wanted me to work in the mortgage side of the organisation. In a way it was quite forward-thinking of a small building society at the time to hire a young woman from outside the business into a brand-new role.”
Coming from the Bank of Ireland, the lack of technology at the Society at that time was a shock, particularly for someone whose father wanted her to learn computer programming in her spare time.
"I remember asking where my PC was so I could send an email, only to be told no one had one – but I could have a Dictaphone for memos! We didn’t even have email until 2006."
Phillippa’s path to CEO has been anything but linear. She’s headed up marketing, operations, and (no surprise!) IT, but there is a common thread in her story: people.
“Care for customers and colleagues. That’s been the constant throughout my career. I’ve always believed you’re only as good as the team around you. That’s why I love ‘back to the floor’ days. I don’t want to just sit in my office and have everyone around me doing things – I want to roll up my sleeves and understand what my colleagues do and what I can do to help them.”
Speaking of care for customers, under Phillippa’s leadership, Newbury has consistently ranked among the best building societies for customer satisfaction, winning awards in 2025 including Best Building Society at the British Bank Awards and Trusted Quality Provider at the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards.
Technology is changing fast, but Phillippa sees it as an opportunity, not a threat. Building societies like Newbury continue to thrive because they combine innovation with a personal touch. In fact, they remain a big part of the UK’s financial landscape. Just look at the last update from the Building Societies Association (covering the six months to September 2025):
- 32% of net mortgage lending was from building societies
- 27% of UK savings were held with building societies
- 46% of Cash ISAs were held with building societies
For Phillippa, the future is about blending tech with trust – making life easier for customers while keeping the human connection that people know the Society for.
“I’m proud of my career here. I’ve never woken up and not wanted to come to work, except maybe during nine months of morning sickness! Some days are tough, but I still want to achieve something every day. Ultimately, I love Newbury, it’s a fabulous place to work.”
