Williams & Glyn banking jobs boost for region
THE North West will be home to most of the back office functions for Williams & Glyns, the bank being divested by Royal Bank of Scotland.
Around 700 people will be based in Spinningfields, Manchester, and a further 500 at a site in Wavertree, Liverpool, according to Rob Pailin, the newly-appointed regional managing director (North) for the division of RBS that will become the new bank.
He said: “Things are moving forward and it is good news that such a large part of the head office will be in the region. It’s yet to be decided where the registered office is going to be, but we are recruiting for people to work in back and middle-office functions such as marketing and HR and the Direct service for small businesses.
“Some people will of course be moving over from RBS, but we’re hiring for new 
people too.”
In the short term the Williams & Glyn Manchester staff will be based within the current flagship RBS head office on Deansgate.
Mr Pailin is well known in the region, having worked in senior corporate banking roles in Manchester over the last decade.
Most recently, he was national chief operating officer for the corporate part of the RBS England & Wales/NatWest Scotland Banking business, which is in the process of being divested.
He said: “I’m delighted to be returning to Manchester and to a role that gives me the opportunity to directly support customer businesses and help them achieve their ambitions.
“It’s a very exciting time for our own business too, as we continue building the bank that will become Williams & Glyn, and I look forward to being part of bringing that brand back to the market and offering something new and different for businesses in the North.”
Last week Business Secretary Vince Cable said he would like to see RBS, which is being forced to divest the Williams & Glyn business – including 316 branches – as a result of its taxpayer bailout during the financial crisis, speed up the process so the new bank can bring fresh competition to the sector.
