Deloitte Financial Services Rising Star Awards 2011
Stars shine bright in financial services

The four finalists for the Deloitte Financial Services Rising Star Awards 2011 have been confirmed following a competitive selection process.

The Deloitte Financial Services Rising Star Awards, which were launched in 1989 and have been supported by Deloitte for the last eight years, recognise and reward those individuals working in the financial services sector who:
• personify a strong professional ethos
• have demonstrated exceptional performance; and
• have made an outstanding contribution to their organisation.

Each finalist will present at a live final, on 21 September 2011, before an invited audience of many of the industry’s most prominent figures. The theme of the presentations will be revealed by Deloitte and the Chartered Banker Institute in due course.

Rob Topley, Financial Services Partner at Deloitte, says that the financial services industry and, in particular, the banking industry need to rebuild public confidence.

He adds: “Against this backdrop, investing in talented potential leaders of the industry with the right experience, vision and professional ethos is especially important. Deloitte is proud to continue to support a competition which showcases such upcoming talent.”

Rob says that each finalist has demonstrated excellent skill and talent within their individual organisations: “We are confident that each will provide our guests with a thoughtprovoking and entertaining presentation.”

Simon Thompson, Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute adds: “The standard of individuals put forward by their organisations was very high and the four finalists have already seen off stiff competition to get to the final.”

He points out that the competition provides a great opportunity for them to present to senior industry figures, demonstrating their professional knowledge and skills and, at the same time, enhancing their career prospects: “The Deloitte Financial Services Rising Star Awards provide a fantastic development opportunity for potential future leaders of the financial services industry. This is at the heart of the Chartered Banker Institute’s objectives to foster and develop the highest professional standards in banking and financial services.”

Each finalist was nominated by their respective workplaces, having made an outstanding impact on the business through exceptional performance in one or more areas.

Alex Kerr is a bank manager for Lloyds Banking Group. Within his five years at the organisation, Alex has progressed through various management grades to become a senior bank manager. Under his leadership, branch performances have significantly improved, and Alex has now been enrolled onto Lloyd’s regional talent pool.

Aileen Wallace is risk manager for Integrated Financial Solutions at Clydesdale Bank. In her time at Clydesdale Bank, Aileen has worked in various roles including marketing, network rationalisation and wealth management. In her current position, Aileen has guided her team to develop innovative models and tools for risk management.

Fal Mansoori is branch manager for Santander in Edinburgh. Her contribution as manager has been immediate with strong performances in her respective branches, which led to her staff nominating her for a best manager award. In her region, Fal has also become People Champion, Savings Champion and Branch of Excellence for Risk and Control for Santander.

Ruth Birrell is manager at Bank of Scotland Private Banking. In addition to her business-as-usual activities, Ruth is also a subject matter expert on frontline systems and processes, and she has been instrumental in launching key initiatives across the business.

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