The latest moves and appointments at London-based Arbuthnot Latham, a listed private bank.

Arbuthnot Latham has appointed Helen Keen as head of UK private banking, to help grow the business.

Keen (pictured) has over 30 years’ experience in the sector, spanning both private and commercial banking, including experience across transformation and credit, the firm said in a statement. She joins Arbuthnot Latham from Coutts, where she was managing director, having been at the firm for over three decades. 

Keen is taking up this newly-created position after Arbuthnot Latham bolstered its client proposition last year by aligning its business units to client segments, including entrepreneurs, executives and professionals, international, commercial banking, real estate, and media (private and commercial). Keen’s appointment is a part of that transformation, the firm continued.

At the start of the year, the firm also promoted Chris Wiltshire to head its Northwest banking team.

Kevin Barrett, managing director, private and commercial banking said: “We are delighted to have secured a colleague with Helen's credentials. She will support us with our growth ambitions over the coming years, as well as shaping the development of our proposition and the future target operating model.”

“In our external client survey in 2022, we achieved an industry-leading Net Promoter Score of 64 per cent and are keen to build on this further by investing into our key propositions, developing our digital capability further, and our engagement with clients,” he continued.

“At Arbuthnot Latham, our purpose is to help our clients go further. Understanding their needs and deepening our relationships is core to our strategy. Helen is a key person in helping deliver that,” he said.

Keen added: “I am incredibly excited to be joining Arbuthnot Latham at such an important time in its growth journey. This year, the bank celebrates 190 years of service, and I am proud to play my part in that legacy.” 

Last week, Arbuthnot Latham also released its financial results, showing that 2022 profit rose by 400 per cent to £20 million ($25 million). This offset weakness in its wealth division, where losses almost doubled to £4.1 million and assets under management fell by 2 per cent to reach £1.3 billion, amidst difficult market conditions.