Lloyds Banking Group has appointed long-standing director Jeremy Hayward as its ambassador for the South West to help support social and economic prosperity across the region.
Jeremy, pictured, will take the lead on delivering the group’s Helping Britain Prosper plan in the region. 
The plan, launched in 2014, sets public targets in areas such as housing, saving for the future, building digital skills, supporting business growth, tackling social disadvantage and championing diversity.
Bristol-based Jeremy, who has a BSc in Materials Science and an MBA from the University of Bath, will continue in his current role as conversion and business planning director for the group. He plans to build on Lloyds’ previous work focusing on supporting small businesses and communities across the region.
Last year it launched a free academy for digital skills in Bristol and also held digital skills seminars for residents, businesses and charities in a number of towns across the South West including Frome, Plymouth and Taunton.
Jeremy has lived in the South West for more than 20 years since starting his career with Lloyds in 1988. Through his career he has worked with both personal and commercial customers and today leads the 300-strong chief customer office team from the group’s Bristol base.
Jeremy said: “The 2020s will be an exciting decade for the South West. From tourism to technology, many sectors have a great opportunity to expand and thrive. Having the right skills in the workforce, housing and infrastructure locally will be important for driving this success.
“Last year, we invested in boosting digital skills across the region – to help residents get to grips with technology, and to give them the abilities that employers increasingly need. I want to build on this work, support small businesses and help to build prosperity in the South West.”
Lloyds Banking Group is the UK’s biggest lender to small and medium-sized businesses. The group includes the Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows brands.
