Catriona Penny

Venture Banking supports founders and investors at critical moments of growth, providing specialist capabilities, including deep sector expertise and flexible capital solutions, helping to reinforce Scotland’s position as a leading destination for innovation and investment.

The key role will see Penny focus on helping high growth, venture backed and innovation or tech-led businesses in Scotland to connect with and attract the capital they need to expand and compete globally.

She will work with a team across the UK which combines regional and sectoral expertise, while pulling in support from other areas of the Group, such as the Royal Bank Accelerator, and partnerships, such as with Amazon Web Services.

She brings a wealth of experience over two decades in the financial services industry in Edinburgh and London with Lloyds Banking Group and Virgin Money. She was most recently senior director for growth and acquisition finance at Virgin Money, where she focused on providing lending of up to £10m to high growth, venture capital backed, UK based companies.

Penny’s appointment was announced at the 2026 Female Founders Growth Summit hosted at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Gogarburn offices in Edinburgh.  

Jenny Edwards, head of venture banking at NatWest Group, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Catriona onboard and to expand our Venture Banking offering to Scotland’s founders and investors.

“Our venture banking team brings together specialist expertise, strong networks and partnerships and tailored financing solutions to turbocharge our most exciting, high growth businesses.

“Establishing dedicated venture banking coverage in Scotland builds on the foundations we’ve laid through our accelerator and university partnerships, giving founders and investors specialist support to help promising businesses grow across the region.  

Catriona Penny, venture banking relationship director, at Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “This is an exciting time to be joining Venture Banking, which will strengthen our offering and the broader Scottish ecosystem’s support for entrepreneurs scaling their business.

“Scotland has incredible opportunities for high growth firms across a range of sectors, including energy transition, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies. 

“And with only one in five founders in Scotland being female, we know that one of the biggest opportunities is in encouraging and supporting more women to start and scale their own business.”