Ecology Building Society CEO Paul Ellis is step down after 40 years working for the ethical lender.
He spent the last 26 years of his time with Ecology in the top job, making him the longest-serving CEO in the sector. During this time, he has overseen an increase in assets from £18m to £226m at the end of 2020.
Ecology says Mr Ellis leaves it in a good position, with its strongest ever pipeline of lending and a strong interest in its sustainable lending solutions. This leaves it well-placed to support efforts to deliver a green recovery and help to tackle the climate and ecological emergency in the run-up to the COP26 summit in Glasgow this November.
The building society has started the recruitment process for a replacement, with Mr Ellis expected to remain in post until 2022 to support the handover process.
Mr Ellis said: “I have had the great good fortune to work for an organisation whose principles and reason for being I passionately support.
Related: Ecology Building Society assets pass the £200m mark
“Indeed, with Ecology I have had the opportunity to demonstrate how balance sheet dynamics can be constructed in order to pursue the provision of sustainable finance. Nothing would have been possible without our members and wider stakeholders in the green building community, and I am proud to have met so many passionate people and experienced so many exciting projects. I will be leaving Ecology with fantastic memories to continue the fight for a sustainable future through other means.
Ecology board chair Steve Round said: “I would like to thank Paul, who will be stepping down after 40 years of involvement with Ecology, for his extraordinary contributions to both the development of the society, as a member, then director and latterly CEO as well as the wider values-based banking, social and environmental finance, and green building community.
“Throughout that time his unwavering commitment to our founding members’ vision of applying ecological principles to finance to deliver a sustainable future has guided the society from its early pioneering activity to our current position as a leading exponent of green finance.
“I am delighted that Paul will be remaining with the society to support the handover process with his successor.”
