Hampshire Trust Bank, the specialist bank, has announced the appointment of Chris Forsyth as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

In his Executive role, Chris has responsibility for technology, change management, human resources and the bank’s savings business.

Prior to joining, Chris fulfilled various roles within Investec, most recently as COO of the bank’s private client and corporate lending activities. He is a graduate of the University of Cape Town and a South African Chartered Accountant, having completed his professional training with EY (formerly Ernst & Young).

Talking about why he decided to join Hampshire Trust Bank, Chris said: “Hampshire Trust Bank is at an exciting stage of its journey. The bank has already announced that it will be moving to new headquarters and is investing in specialist teams and systems to ensure it continues to provide an expert service to UK SMEs. I am looking forward to helping the bank achieve its growth goals.”

Mark Sismey-Durrant, Chief Executive Officer at Hampshire Trust Bank, said: “Chris is a welcome addition to our experienced Executive team.

“Having achieved significant growth since the bank’s relaunch in 2014, we are now moving into the next phase of our development. We will continue to invest in our systems and our people to further strengthen our position as a specialist bank.”