A NEW senior partner has been appointed to Yorkshire Bank’s North East business and private banking team.

Brian Lake, 51, who will be based at Yorkshire Bank’s Newcastle Financial Solutions Centre (FSC), Quayside, where he will lead a 30-strong team covering Tyneside, parts of Wearside and Northumberland

Lake, who has specialist expertise in supporting companies in import and export business, went into banking in 1977 and worked in retail, operations and corporate banking with Midland Bank and HSBC before joining Barclays Corporate, Newcastle in 2008 where he was relationship director.

He becomes the fourth senior appointment this year to Yorkshire Bank’s North East team, which incorporates the bank’s Tees Valley FSC at Stockton.

Lake, who lives in Northumberland, said: “I’m pleased to join Yorkshire Bank’s North East Team which has built a first-class reputation for supporting the region’s businesses.

“Like Yorkshire Bank, I’m passionate about delivering excellent customer service and look forward to building on its success.”

Yorkshire Bank’s North East Team comprises 70 staff working in multi-discipline teams encompassing corporate banking, private wealth management, treasury services and credit and operates a traditional method of banking with funding from deposits used to support investments in the local community.