Stephen Leonard

CMO | CCO | Board Advisor - Strategic Growth & Value creation for world class International Banks & Financials, FTSE 100 Consumer, Private Equity, HM Govt || UK, GCC, EMEA, US

Kuwait City Metropolitan Area

About

Seasoned Exec leader, CMO & CCO, GM & Board adviser. 25 years+ global C-suite General Management, Commercial P&L, Marketing, Products, Customer & Digital track record. Leadership of major strategic change, and building world class capabilities & teams, which directly drive business growth & value. Top 100 CMO & CCO for world-class UK, European, Middle East, GCC & US brands. Global best practice Exec. roles @ Santander, Citi, NBK, Nationwide, Lloyds, Private Equity & UK HM Govt. Further Board Advisory & Interim @ Virgin, Barclays, NPower. Across Banking, Financial, Consumer, Utility, Private Equity, Public & SME sectors. Strategic and commercially oriented with a clear growth & results focus. Values-driven, collaborative leadership, passionate about building great cultures & high performing teams. I believe in creating the ‘conditions for success’, focussed on best in class capability & execution. Outstanding stakeholder communications, adaptable across sectors & international markets. Combining deep functional expertise with a commercial, strategic & financial mindset. MBA | Dip M (CIM) | Harvard & Insead Executive Leadership. Deep expertise: Business Leadership & Strategy | Commercial P&L Growth & Turnaround | International Markets | Brand & Marketing Strategy | Digital & Omni Channel | Business Development, Partnerships & Sales | Customer Experience & Value Propositions | Product & Pricing Management | Managing Regulation | Data Science & AI | CRM, CVM & CEX | B2C & B2B Distribution Channels | Business Coach & Mentor |

Experience

  • Senior Vice President - Consumer Banking / CMO at National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) || Private Equity Group || Financial Services
    Sep 2016 - Present · 9 yrs 10 mos

    Senior Vice President (SVP) Consumer Banking at National Bank of Kuwait - a Top 10 Middle East / GCC Bank & No. 1 in Kuwait Leadership of the Consumer P&L, Customer Strategy, Marketing, Products, all Customer Segments & Digital Marketing. Mandated to drive NBK strategic transformation & growth. Introduced global best practice delivering growth and leadership across core markets. Transformation to a personalised, multi channel, customer led, digital and AI data driven model. NBK was recognised as 'the most innovative bank globally' - with 4 year PBT growth of 66% to $1.9bn. CMO - Private Equity Group (Retail, Financial & Technology -240 retail branches and UK market leader in travel money, international remittance & banking services. Mandated to drive growth, modernisation and digital capability for a successful exit. Delivered a high growth & value acceleration strategy (+31% EBITDA CAGR). Further Interim & Board Advisory roles - for various Financial Services Co.

  • Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Nationwide Building Society
    Dec 2013 - Aug 2016 · 2 yrs 9 mos

    CMO at Nationwide - a UK Top 5 bank with 15m customers. Leadership of all Marketing, Communications, Brand & Advertising, Data & Analytics, Digital Marketing and Customer Strategy - for a 200+ team. Recruited to drive commercial growth, customer experience and lead a digital transformation. Leading a transformational Board growth & CEX strategy. Delivered double digit membership growth each year becoming UK's No.1 Financial brand for Trust & Customer Satisfaction. Transformed strategy embedding data led decisioning and ROI and recognition as “UK Marketing Performance Brand of the Year”. Record EBITDA growth to 1.3bn GBP.

  • Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer at Virgin Money || NPower || HM Govt || Financial Services
    May 2009 - Dec 2013 · 4 yrs 8 mos

    CMO and CCO leadership roles, plus Board Advisory & Interim. Virgin Money & NPower - Strategic, Commercial & Marketing - Interim. CMO for Financial Group (under FSA supervision) - leading a financial & strategic turnaround (from major losses to profitability) post financial crisis. Chief Customer, Comissioning & Commercial Officer (Board Director) at HM Govt (DWP). Managing 2000 people & £600m commissioning & op. budget. Leading a major public sector business transformation.

  • Marketing & Digital Director / Director of Mortgages, Savings & International at Banco Santander
    Jan 2001 - May 2009 · 8 yrs 5 mos

    Santander is a leading global Bank with 15m UK customers. Director with Strategy, Products , Commercial P&L & Marketing responsibility for Mortgages, Savings, Investments & G.I. Leading strong market share and 13% CAGR PBT business growth. Also the Board Director managing ‘International'. NED for the UK Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) & Chair of a Charity Group. Previously Marketing & Digital Director (A&L). Leading Marketing, Brand, Digital & Data with a team of 130. Building market leading Digital & Data performance & capabilities.

  • Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer at Citi
    Feb 1996 - Jan 2001 · 5 yrs

    Citigroup are a Top 20 global bank. The U.K. Board Director (Consumer Finance) leading Sales, Marketing, Products, Digital & Commercial P&L across Consumer Finance businesses - Credit Cards, Mortgages, Loans, Retail Sales Finance, Motor Finance. 400% EBITDA growth over period.