Santander poaches Yorkshire Building Society CEO to replace outgoing boss Nathan Bostock

Santander has appointed Mike Regnier to lead the Spanish banking group’s UK business, subject to regulatory approval.

Regnier will join from Yorkshire Building Society, which he has led since 2017. He has more than 25 years’ financial services and retail experience, including at Lloyds Banking Group, Halifax and Asda. He started his career as a management consultant.

Regnier succeeds long-standing UK boss Nathan Bostock who takes on a wider group role, head of investment platforms at Banco Santander.

Santander chair William Vereker said Regnier “brings a powerful combination of experience, knowledge and energy, twinned with a positive vision for the future of the bank”. The bank’s head of Europe, Antonio Simoes, praised the incoming chief’s “proven track record and leadership skills”.

The UK business Regnier will be in charge of had around 20,900 employees and some 14 million active customers, as at June. Regnier said he was “honoured” to take on the new role.

Yorkshire Building Society said its chief operating officer, Stephen White, has been appointed as interim chief executive with immediate effect. It added that Regnier will work with White “to ensure a smooth transition”.