LEADING DIGITAL WITH PURPOSE: SUSAN ALLEN ON TRANSFORMING YORKSHIRE BUILDING SOCIETY
LEADING DIGITAL WITH PURPOSE: SUSAN ALLEN ON TRANSFORMING YORKSHIRE BUILDING SOCIETY
YORKSHIRE BUILDING SOCIETY
PROJECT DIRECTED BY: JAMIE WAITE
When discussing Susan Allen, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Building Society (YBS), it was immediately clear that her passion for purpose-led leadership is as real as it gets. Since stepping into the role in March 2023, she's been driving a bold digital transformation across the organisation— one that’s about more than just tech upgrades. “From the start, what excited me was the opportunity to lead an organisation that has such a strong social mission,” she said. “We’re here to support members at key moments in their lives, and that purpose underpins everything we do.”
With more than 25 years in financial services—including time at Barclays and Santander UK—Allen brought serious experience to the table. But at YBS, she’s charted a path that’s not just about business acumen. It’s about aligning innovation with empathy.
“When I joined, one of the biggest priorities was to modernise how we serve members,” she stated. “We’ve all seen how quickly consumer behaviour is changing— people expect to manage their finances on their own terms. So our focus has been on building a digital service that’s flexible, intuitive, and still deeply personal.”
Under Allen’s leadership, YBS has invested heavily in its digital capabilities. Whether members want to manage their accounts on the go, visit a branch, or call in for help, the goal is simple: give them the freedom to choose. “It’s not about going digital for the sake of it,” she said. “It’s about giving people more control and convenience in how they interact with us.”
To make that happen, YBS teamed up with some of the biggest names in tech— Tata Consultancy Services, Cisco, Mitel, and more. “TCS has been a particularly important partner,” Allen explained. “They’ve helped us rethink our core systems so we can be more agile, scale faster, and improve the digital experience
The road to exponential value creation:
Propelling the business transformation journey for building societies with automation and technology modernisation
At TCS we bring the power of innovation, technology and deep contextual knowledge to set the pace of transformation for our Banking customers. We help them deliver greater outcomes and achieve sustainable growth by leveraging our extensive AI expertise, partner ecosystems and co-innovation framework. With continuous investment in research, we enable financial institutions to unlock a sea of new possibilities, elevate customer experience, and build resilience for the future.
Satya Mishra, Head of Banking and Financial Services UK at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), shares how the company has been partnering with Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) to support the latter’s strategic business visions through accelerated digital transformation and topnotch customer service.
TCS is a digital transformation and technology partner of choice for industry-leading organisations worldwide. Since its inception in 1968, TCS has upheld the highest standards of innovation, engineering excellence and customer service.
TCS has partnered with YBS to build a nextgen Mortgage Sales and Origination Platform, helping YBS create market differentiation and meet its strategic growth objectives. With focus on launching purpose-led products and improving business process through strategic automation and tech modernisation, TCS is helping YBS deliver significant value to its members.
On the Savings side of business, TCS has ensured increased digital adoption by YBS members, resulting in 25 percent uptick in YBS’ NPS score. With new feature launches and migration to modern web platform, TCS is helping YBS make its Mobile-first vision a reality.
The TCS-YBS partnership
Trust as the cornerstone: TCS has a longstanding partnership with YBS. Our relationship is driven by mutual trust. For over 17 years, we have been collaborating to deliver extraordinary results. YBS stakeholders have specifically highlighted how TCS has stood by YBS’ side at every step of the key transformation journeys.
Equitable partnership: We keep equity at the heart of our relationship, with respect for our cultural diversity, different expertise and experiences. Over time, our strong relationship has demonstrated one-team ethos and has evolved with changing market trends, business & IT needs.
One Team Culture: We believe in collaboration, inclusivity, and a shared vision for success. It is a mindset that has enabled us to go above and beyond to deliver value for the building society and its members.
Leading change for YBS with emerging technological advancements
As we look ahead, we are delighted to be chosen as the partner of choice by YBS to achieve their 2030 strategic goals and aggressive growth ambitions and help YBS make a future ready society and meet its north star ambition. We will continue to leverage cutting-edge technologies to support YBS in modernising its core banking systems and adopting cloud-native solutions. By doing so, we aim to create seamless, customer-centric services that drive efficiency and business agility.
With data as the backbone of the modern financial ecosystem, TCS will enable YBS to unlock actionable insights through advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. Aligning with evolving customer expectations and regulatory mandates, we will collaborate with YBS to integrate sustainable practices across its operations. Our expertise in ESG solutions will help YBS maintain its leadership in ethical and responsible banking.
Tapping into the opportunities presented by open banking, TCS will support YBS in exploring partnerships with FinTechs and embracing innovation in financial products and services. Together, we will position YBS as a pioneer in providing value-added, inclusive financial offerings.
To help drive member- first engagement, we will leverage AI-powered analytics to enhance customer experience for YBS, while meeting the sustainability and ESG mandates in lending and investment with data-driven solutions.
Shaping the future of banking and financial services
AI-Driven Transformation: TCS is integrating artificial intelligence into banking operations to
View our interview with Satya Mishra, Head
of Banking and Financial Services
UK
at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
Click the link below to watch.
enhance customer experiences, optimize costs, and improve decision-making.
Generative AI for Product and Service Innovation: TCS is exploring the potential of generative AI to create disruptive solutions in areas like customer engagement, product design, and operational efficiency.
Intelligent automation: TCS is streamlining processes like loan approvals, compliance checks, and customer onboarding.
Cloud-native Platforms: TCS is enabling banks to embrace cloud, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and resilience.
Open Banking and Ecosystem Integration: TCS is helping financial institutions unlock the possibilities of open banking by integrating APIs and fostering collaboration with FinTechs.
Sustainability: TCS is aligning its solutions with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, helping banks adopt sustainable practices and meet regulatory requirements.
Cyber resilience: With the rise of digital banking, TCS is providing robust cybersecurity frameworks and compliance solutions to
protect financial institutions against evolving threats.
Towards a perpetually adaptive enterprise
With the ability to rapidly apply and scale new technologies, TCS is helping its customers emerge as perpetually adaptive enterprises. We offer innovative solutions and strategies that help businesses become more adaptable, focusing on leveraging technology, particularly AI, to enhance operational efficiency, build business resilience, and develop future-ready workforces.
Cloud Transformation: Helping financial institutions modernize legacy systems through cloud-based solutions like TCS BaNCS™.
AI-Driven Innovation: Leveraging AI and automation to enhance customer experience, fraud prevention, and operational efficiency.
Regulatory & Risk Management Solutions: Deploying platforms like Quartz for Compliance to help firms navigate evolving regulations.
Co-Innovation Ecosystem: Through TCS Pace Ports™, we collaborate with startups and academia to drive financial innovation.
for our members. It’s not just about the back-end—it's also about how easy and accessible everything feels for the user.”
And the results? They speak for themselves. In 2024 alone, YBS completed over 41,000 residential mortgage deals, with gross lending hitting £9.7 billion. “That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident,” Allen stated. “We’ve streamlined mortgage applications, made onboarding simpler, and sped up how we serve people—and that’s making a real difference in a tough economy.”
She also pointed to a sharp rise in digital engagement, saying, “Since we kicked off the strategy, we’ve more than doubled how often members interact with us online. People are happier with the experience, and that’s reflected in our Net Promoter Score, which reached a record high last year.”
But while digital is a big part of the story, Allen is equally focused on community impact. She’s hands-on, too—literally. In October 2024, she joined the CEO Sleepout at Elland Road Stadium to raise money for FareShare, a charity fighting hunger and homelessness. “That night really brought home how important our work is,” she recalled. “Helping people find a place to call home, improving financial wellbeing—these aren’t abstract goals for us. They’re real, and they matter.”
Through partnerships with groups like the Good Things Foundation, YBS is also tackling digital exclusion. “We’ve helped more than a thousand people in Bradford boost their digital skills and confidence,” Allen stated. “It’s about making sure no one is left behind as we move forward.”
That inclusive ethos carries over internally, too. YBS was named one of the UK’s top ten family-friendly employers in 2023. “I’m so proud of our teams and the work we do to support each other,” Allen stated. “Our Parents and Carers Network has been especially instrumental in shaping a culture that works for real people with real lives.”
Leadership at YBS is evolving as well. In 2024, Annemarie Durbin became the Society’s first female Chair. “It’s a historic appointment,” Allen stated. “Annemarie brings tremendous experience and a global perspective that will be key as we look to the future.”
Financially, YBS is in a strong position. In 2024, the Society posted a core operating profit of £345.7 million, with pre-tax profit reaching £383.7 million. But Allen is quick to connect those numbers back to the mutual model. “We don’t have shareholders—we’re here for our members. So when we succeed, they benefit directly through better savings rates, new services, and stronger community investment.”
Of course, her transition into the role wasn’t without headlines. A £2.5 million "golden hello" package drew some public attention. “I understand the scrutiny,” she acknowledged. “But packages like that are standard in the industry when someone’s leaving significant compensation behind. What matters to me is what we do from here—and I think our track record is starting to show that.”
Looking ahead, Allen remains focused on delivering the final stages of YBS’s 2025 strategy. “Transformation isn’t just a project—it’s a mindset,” she said. “We’re not just trying to keep up with change; we’re actively shaping it, in a way that’s right for our members and true to who we are.”
As we wrapped up our conversation, what keeps Susan motivated? “It’s simple, really. I believe in the power of financial services to do good. And at Yorkshire Building Society, I get to be part of an organisation where that’s not just a slogan—it’s the everyday reality.”
www.ybs.co.uk