Employee Profiles

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for Stroud & Swindon Building Society?

Well here you have the chance to meet some of the staff members both in head office and in our branches. They’ll give you an insight into why they chose to work for the Society, and what their job involves on a day-to-day basis.

Head Office Staff

Amy Pegler - Corporate Communications Officer

My name is Amy Pegler and I work in Head Office in the Corporate Communications department.

My role involves writing and designing the staff magazine, intranet administration, public relations, development and ongoing support with the branch charitable programme,  together with organising events, exhibitions, corporate hospitality and dealing with community issues.
 

I have been with the Society since February 1997, starting as a Mortgage Portfolio Management Assistant for Stroud & Swindon Mortgage Company. I progressed to Mortgage Advisor then transferred to the Marketing Department as a Marketing Assistant. After a couple of years I became a Marketing Co-ordinator. In 2002 a new department was created called Corporate Communications which I became part of, as a Co-ordinator and I have since been promoted to Corporate Communications Officer.

I have completed lots of courses whilst being at the Stroud & Swindon, these include my NVQ level 2 in Business Administration, Integrated Business Technology 2, NVQ level 3 Customer Service and more recently I completed the Prince’s Trust team programme. I have also attended various training courses such as Excel, PowerPoint, Introduction to Management and a PR course. 

The Stroud & Swindon is a great place to work, everyone is so friendly. The benefits you get as an employee are very good as well, and the training which is available to you is excellent.


Carla Smith - Project Manager

I’ve been with the Society a total of 7 years now.

It all began part-time as a casual worker in SSBS Direct having completed my work experience with them. From there I was offered a full-time position in Customer Services working on the Savings & Transactions Team where I advanced 2 grades up to Customer Services Technician in 4 years.

I then fancied a new challenge and transferred to become a Marketing Officer in 2004. During my 2 years in Marketing I gained a qualification with the Chartered Institute of Marketing and took part in the Prince’s Trust ‘Team’ programme.

In June 2006 I joined the Project Office team as the Project Office Assistant and progressed to Project Manager in January 2007. My role is responsible for the delivery of projects and change management requests within the Society. I’m currently managing a project to implement an online mortgage point of sale system across our 4 sales channels.

So far being in the Project Office I’ve gained the Association for Project Management Introductory Certificate and have just taken the Professional Qualification. I’ve also recently completed the Management Skills Foundation Programme with the Institute of Leadership & Management.

I really enjoy working for the Society and I have been given many opportunities to diversify my career. As well as the encouraging and supporting you through your own personal development and further education, the benefits you get as an employee are really good.  

Sam Fisher - Senior Customer Services Technician

My name is Sam Fisher and I work in the Customer Services department at Head Office.

When I joined the Society in July 2005, I was employed as a Customer Services Technician. The purpose of this role was to; assist the administration teams on complex queries, provide advice on procedures, and to undertake a course of training from senior staff to be able to competently complete delegated tasks.

In April 2007 I was promoted to a Senior Customer Service Technician, and then things changed…...I am now responsible for specific technical tasks such as; Rate Changes, Insurance Renewals, Work Measurement, Procedural Reviews, Audit Reporting and many more adhoc projects. I also had a fantastic opportunity of working with an external consultancy company for 4 months. This was an experience. I have learnt so much from it including; gaining a better understanding of the company I work for, using new techniques for analysing data, use of project management tools, implementing a new work measurement & planning system and creating more efficient processes.

The Society has also given me the opportunity for personal development this includes professional qualifications such as Advanced CeMAP and Institute of Customer Service Communications Award. I have lost count of the number of courses I have been on over the last couple of years, but they have all benefited my development, these include; Train the Trainer, Coaching & Mentoring, Report Writing etc.

This year I have also started coaching other staff in achieving the ICS awards, and hope to become an assessor for this in the future.

Although I have only been working for the Society since 2005, it feels like I have been here much longer. I have been given so many opportunities I feel that I have been very lucky.  Stroud & Swindon is a great place to work and the people who work here are fantastic.

Branch Staff

David Howley - Customer Manager

My name in David Howley and I work as the Customer Manager in our Lydney Branch.

I started at the Lydney Branch in 1991 as a Customer Assistant until 1997 when I left the Society to work for an Insurance Group in Gloucester. From my first day there I realised I had made a mistake but decided to give the job at least 6 months. Then an opportunity arose for me to return to Lydney where I took up my previous role. In 2001 I transferred onto the Society Network Support Team and later on that year I was promoted to a Learning and Development Facilitator. In March 2007 I was successful in my application to become the Customer Manager at Lydney Branch.  It is great to be working back in my home town and close to my family - I can now walk to work! 

The Society has given me many opportunities, which has allowed me to develop into this role.  The support and encouragement given to study for further qualifications has enabled me to obtain CeMAP, Certificate in Training Practice, and more recently Core Management (through the CIPD).

I have benefited from Work Life Balance within the Society, being one of the first men to take paternity leave when my daughter was born in 2002.

I especially enjoy my current role as I get to work with a variety of staff from across the organisation, and, at the end of the day, the staff are the Society’s main asset.

There are many opportunities available to employees within the Society if they choose to take them.  I feel very privileged to have been able to return to the Stroud and Swindon and for the career and development opportunities I have been given.

Jan Ball - Branch Manager, Swindon

My name is Jan Ball and I am currently the Manager at Highworth Branch in Wiltshire. My role is to coach my staff, ensure branch targets are achieved, and keep our customers happy by delivering excellent customer service.

I started work at Regent Circus Branch as a customer assistant, I was then promoted 3 times within the branch, becoming Senior Customer Assistant, Supervisor and finally Assistant Branch Manager, I the got promoted to Branch Manager of Tetbury! I then took up the post of Branch Manager at Melksham for a very busy year during which Melksham was refurbished. I then went to Frome as Branch Manager in Somerset. I am now in my eighth year at the Stroud and Swindon and very happy at Swindon branch.

I still love coming to work as over the years I have worked and still do with fantastic people who have taught me so much. The Society itself as an employer has always proven to me that it has an interest in its employees.

I have gained all three CeMap qualifications and have completed numerous other courses. As a Manager I have helped several people take advantage of flexible working and career breaks and have seen what a real difference this makes to people.


Vikki Wilkins - Branch Manager, Bradford on Avon

I have worked for the society since September 2004. During this time Stroud and Swindon have always encouraged me to develop my career and have been very supportive throughout.

I joined the society as a Customer Assistant in the Frome branch and right from the start I knew I had made the right decision to come to work for Stroud and Swindon. I was given the support to train for the role of Supervisor within the Frome branch and was promoted in July 2006. The role was updated in March 2007 and I became the Customer Manager for Frome.
 

The Customer Manager role was far more focused than the Supervisors role and this gave me a brilliant opportunity to progress.

During this time the Society invited me to complete the Management Foundation Programme; I was given help every step of the way whilst completing this 6 month course and found that it enabled me to find the confidence and ability to apply for my current role in May 2007.

As a Branch Manager my role now includes coaching and developing other members of staff just as I was helped by my managers, ensuring that we meet and exceed our branch targets whilst making sure the team provide the best possible customer service.

Jo Trigg - Branch Manager, Chepstow

I am Joanne Trigg, Branch  Manager of the Chepstow Branch.

I have been with Stroud & Swindon  nearly thirteen  years, starting as Customer Service Assistant at Chepstow Branch. I started with no experience of working in a building society, but have been encouraged to develop my skills.

The Society as a whole and my immediate superiors have always helped me to move forward with my career and with my long service I am now enjoying additional benefits that this brings. My family life is very important to me  too  and I have really appreciated being able to take advantage of and benefit from the Societies worklife balance scheme.

I achieved promotion within the Society when transferring to the Lydney branch, in 2000, as Supervisor and Mortgage Advisor. After a period of six years and enjoying the experience in Lydney I was then given the chance to prove myself yet again and became Branch Manager in Chepstow in April 2006.

I have always received the utmost support from the Society and my colleagues and appreciate that I work for a company who has invested a lot of time and care into me and my career.