Bank of Scotland appoints new SME team boss

Bank of Scotland has appointed Fraser Sime as regional director, SME banking Scotland, succeeding Graham Blair who has taken up the post of mortgage director at the Edinburgh-based lender.

Mr Sime will take up his new role on 28 November and will report into Sharon Geoghegan, regional managing director, Scotland and east region for SME banking within Lloyds Banking Group.

He will be based in Edinburgh and his remit will be exactly the same as held by his predecessor, leading Bank of Scotland’s commercial banking presence for SME customers in Scotland.

He will lead a 90-strong relationship team who support clients with businesses with turnover between £1 million and £25 million.

Sime has considerable banking experience having worked for Lloyds Banking Group for 20 years.

After UK and European leadership roles in commercial banking’s acquisition finance team, Mr Sime held several roles supporting the group’s mid markets client business.

His most recent role was as head of conduct and the control function for mid markets & SME banking.

He also spent three years as an area director for West Scotland, supporting mid markets clients with turnover over £25 million.

Sharon Geoghegan, regional managing director, Scotland and east region for SME banking, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Fraser will be known to many of our larger business clients in Scotland, from his time as an Area Director earlier in his career and his knowledge of the Scotland market, plus the broad experience gained from 20 years in the Group, will be of great benefit to our Scotland SME clients. He inherits a strong team from Graham, who are all fully committed to supporting businesses as they seek to navigate through the current economic uncertainty and to help them to capitalise upon the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Mr Sime added: “A strong and vibrant economy in Scotland is critical to the UK’s ongoing prosperity. Our long-standing commitment to support clients and to help fund their growth ambitions is even more important given the current more challenging economic environment. As such, I am very excited by the opportunity to lead the team and continue Graham’s work.”